


Forgotten Nocturne

by Viermis



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/F, Mystery, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:07:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 127,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22405441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viermis/pseuds/Viermis
Summary: When the world stood on the brink of disaster, a lone sentinel was sent to a foreign country with a mission at hand. Surrounded by lies, she could trust no one but a mysterious woman with a bewitching fanged smile. Will they unravel the truth together or will they stay trapped in a twisted plan?
Relationships: Maria Cadenzavna Eve/Kazanari Tsubasa
Comments: 42
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone.  
> Actually I even wasn't sure should i post it or not, but my proofs forced me to do it... However, I'm still grateful for their hard work and support.  
> I didn't write anything for many years and started this story just for fun using the world and plot I wrote for text rpg long ago (So, yeah, this is AU). But eventually it became something bigger and I was surprised how well it works after a few tweaks.  
> Also I'd like to mention that it was partly inspired by [am_saint's art](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/65655371)  
> which made me think "what if..." at the first place, but I wont bore you with explanation.  
> I wanted to write something easy to read and enjoy and I hope I managed to do that.  
> This is the story about love, friendship, conspiracy, mystery and some humor (And...fine... there are lewd parts). It doesn't have a fixed POV and in later chapters there will be more characters than I tagged. If it 'll go as planed, all of them will appear eventually.  
> Anyway, enough of prelude. You are here to read a story, not my mumbling about it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Damsel in distress?! It's not that kind of story..."

When the world stepped onto the threshold of the industrial revolution, an unexpected problem was revealed. More and more often, evidence for the existence of legendary and mythical creatures have been getting believable confirmations. They had been hiding in the shadows for millennia, remaining a part of terrifying legends. Many of them were intelligent beings which soon nearly declared war on humanity, though it wasn’t an open fight for dominance. No one could explain why their activity had increased so suddenly. As the problem spread around the world, people started to unite against the threat. Soon enough small groups united in the form of bigger alliances. Of course, it was decided to keep the existence of the threat in secret, otherwise panic and fear would ruin the world faster than anything that had been seen before. With time, the organizations from the biggest countries established connections and tried to stand as a united force and fight on the front lines. However, not everyone shared the same ideals and goals.

The East had always been under protection from the Kazanari clan, who had been facing these unusual threats for many centuries. They held all ancient scrolls and books containing the knowledge about all known supernatural beings called, but rarely shared it with anyone outside the clan. The Kazanari family was always greatly respected; no one questioned their right to create special forces and research facilities in order to protect the nation. Brave warriors hunted down all kinds of dangerous yokai, protecting commoners and covering up information about the existence of any danger. Following the old traditions, using ancestral knowledge and believing in a greater purpose, they kept peace and order while sacrificing their lives for this cause.

In the West, all of the resistance groups tried to unite into a singular force, naming themselves The Association and calling their agents hunters. But the lack of a mutual respect between leaders led to chaos, the main problems quickly fading in favor of ambitions and endless greed. Many coveted a position as the most respected and rightful leader. Eventually lies, conspiracy, and betrayal became a common thing. When everything spiraled completely out of control, the majority of the leaders suggested to ask for help and deepen their cooperation with the East. Their experience and methods could help to escape the apparent dead end at which they found themselves.

Negotiations were long and tense. Kazanari Fudo, Head of Kazanari clan, was strongly against any kind of deals with other nations. The only priority for Kazanari had to be their homeland and people they were sworn to protect; nothing else mattered. It had always been this way and Fudo didn’t intend to change a thing. However, there had been too many disturbing rumors. Staying in the dark and waiting for the fire to spread wasn’t a wise strategy. After considering all possibilities, Kazanari Fudo made one clear order: investigate the situation and find out what was really happening in the West. Sending a lot people at once wasn’t necessary at the moment, but a few of their best warriors would be enough. Officially, this was intended as a goodwill gesture to improve cooperation between the two nations.

Being one of the best warriors, Kazanari Tsubasa was the first among the chosen for this role. As the heir of the Kazanari clan, she always had to live up to extremely high standards. Training every day since her early childhood, she improved and sharpened her skills and instincts, never sparing herself for even a second. Calling herself the sentinel, she did everything to become the perfect protector, the guardian between humans and the ancient evil, and to make her family proud. These high ideals helped Tsubasa to keep moving forward even in the hardest and darkest of times. It was a path of sacrifice and self-renunciation, but she was ready to give everything she had for a greater cause.

When Tsubasa first heard the order of her grandfather, she agreed right away that she should be the one who would travel to the distant lands. This could be a perfect opportunity to prove herself and make her father and grandfather finally admit her abilities and showcase a sincere devotion to the clan ideal. Tsubasa, however, had a small hidden motive behind her decision. The mission demanded to spend a lot of time alone, investigate the unknown, and be prepared to face the inevitable. And even after a request for support, an unknown amount of time would pass before the arrival of backup. This would mean that the assigned emissary needed to survive long enough, relying only on their own skills in a hostile environment. Yet, it was only the execution of duties to be fulfilled and failure wasn’t an option. Tsubasa cared about her younger associates and couldn’t let them risk their lives like that. Accepting the place of Kazanari’s first representative herself, would solve this small problem.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsubasa arrived at the local headquarters of the Association a few days prior, and from the start all went wrong. The first meeting with the new allies only proved that they were too different in methods and beliefs. More than that, the whole time she had the feeling that they were lying and hiding something, all behind fake smiles and warm hospitality, but there was no way to prove it. For now, she had to play along and pretend to believe every single word they said, accepting their advice and suggestions. What they had told her was almost a scary fairy tale about sudden kidnappings and heartless murders. For all of this mayhem they blamed the bloodsucking creatures from local legends. Tsubasa knew enough about them and several times faced these creatures. Here they were given the name “vampire” after a mystical beast from the old stories who survived by taking innocent lives. Unfortunately, many facts from the legends were proven wrong. Unlike in the myths, real vampires were not undead and were not afraid of sunlight nor holy water. Only the part about an aversion to silver and inhuman senses appeared to be true. Humanity had to learn these from scratch, finding the limits and abilities of this foe.

Death was the most common thing to deal with in cases involving inhuman beings, but Tsubasa never heard about them taking hostages or abducting people. If this was true, then there should be something uncommon and disturbing.

Tsubasa was told all of the Association agents sent to investigate had disappeared or refused to do the job a few days after the assignments were given, ignoring all orders to come back. Not one of them provided a decent explanation for what exactly happened out there and what the reason was for such unprofessional behavior. The whole city was like a big quagmire, devouring the bravest and driving away the weakest souls. Tsubasa had no real intel, no trustworthy information and only the local gossip and rumors might point in the right direction. She spent almost all day talking to random people around the city. They were not too friendly and not many agreed to talk at all. The common citizens obviously didn’t like strangers, especially strangers who asked unpleasant questions. As time passed, Tsubasa got used to being ignored or bestowed with a hostile gaze. However, luck smiled on the tired sentinel once. The nice old lady who was selling old junk at the small swap meet wanted to talk and was happy to tell Tsubasa all she knew about everything in the area. She said that often in the night a cloaked figure was lurking around, especially when deep mist was covering the streets, looking for late night pedestrians. Every following morning there would be a dead body with terrible wounds to be found. It wasn’t much and sounded more like a scary town legend that kids would tell at a late-night party, but at least Tsubasa knew where she could try to start.

When the night came, it appeared to be like the one described by the old lady. Thick fog covered the streets, hiding everything from curious eyes, wrapping everything in a white fuzzy veil. The dim lights of the gas street lamps failed the fight with it, letting the mist rule in full strength. Not many people dared to walk around after midnight in such weather. Closed doors and tight curtained windows were a common thing to see as quiet oblivion devoured the city.

The sound of slow steps on the pavement broke the oppressive silence that hung in the air. Tsubasa walked down the unfamiliar street without any hesitation or fear. It was a good chance to check out how true the weird stories could be. But with each minute, her hope to meet the mysterious cloaked person was fading away. Time passed annoyingly slow and with each step she dove further into the haze of her thoughts. It wasn’t easy to be alone so far away from her homeland without anyone to rely on. Everything here was too different from the culture of the East and the things she was used to seeing. Even the weather wasn’t friendly to the foreign woman today. A cold breeze against her skin brought Tsubasa back to reality. She pulled up the collar of her long black trench coat and slightly cringed. Removing a stray lock of her dark blue hair from her face, Tsubasa breathed in the wet air. She was forced to wear the unaccustomed local clothing to not attract too much attention but it proved to be useful as the air’s temperature fell lower than she liked. The sentinel’s gaze closely inspected each corner and shadow; at every slight rustle her muscles tensed and her grip tightened on the hilt of the katana at her hip. This sharp piece of steel was the only thing she could trust here besides her own instincts.

The quiet boring hours passed one by one, but yet nothing significant happened. Tsubasa was ready to give up for the day when a crashing noise from a nearby alley caught her attention. Like a tiger chasing its prey, the sentinel uninhibitedly bolted to the dark alley, ready to face anything that could be hiding there. The sharp blade in her hands dimly glowed in the light of street lamps ready to cut down the enemy.

Tsubasa sharply inhaled, almost cursing under her breath when a stray cat pounced from the darkness and landed right in front of her. What else she was expecting? Nothing could be that easy. Tsubasa sighed quietly, hiding the end of her blade back in its sheath when her gaze fell on a lifeless hand lying on the dirty ground. It wasn’t right to be happy at the sight of a dead body, but deep inside she felt a little triumph, after all, her time hadn’t been wasted. Tsubasa carefully moved closer, trying to not step on any possible clues or small evidence. She knelt down and the acrid smell of blood soaked dirt and burnt flesh hit her nose. It was definitely a fresh corpse; a young man whose chest had been cut open with the heart mercilessly pierced through. The edges of the wound looked somewhat uncommon, as if he was killed by a red-hot blade. Tsubasa had seen such things several times before, but it could only mean that the victim wasn’t human and was killed by a silver weapon. Peering into the wounds Tsubasa came to the conclusion that before his death, he had fought someone. Multiple cuts on his clothes were clear proof, as well as deep burnt wounds on his hands. She looked closer to the man’s face. It was distorted by pain, eyes frozen in final agonizing moments.

Tsubasa stood up ready to search closely for other clues around the place, but was caught by a tight grip on her shoulders. She tried to grab her sword and break away, only to have strong hands firmly hold her in place not allowing her to make any reckless movements. The sentinel couldn’t understand how this happened. No one could ever catch her off guard before. But it just happened…

“You must leave.” A quiet, low female voice broke the silence. Subtle breath softly touched Tsubasa’s ear, sending a shiver down her spine. For the moment, she forgot how to breathe. There was no hostile tone in this whisper, but it caused a strong and undeniable desire to obey; to leave this place and never come back.

Swallowing hard, Tsubasa gathered all of her will power to protest firmly. "No." She took a deep breath to calm her tensed nerves. The situation wasn’t just unpleasant, but utterly humiliating for an experienced fighter such as herself. However, she was still alive and unharmed, except her deeply wounded pride. Whoever this woman was, it seemed she didn’t plan to end this with violence. At least not for now. Tsubasa’s mind had started to spin around, trying to figure out exactly what was going on here and how to turn the tables on this mysterious woman. “As a sentinel I won’t step back.” She said keeping her firm tone. Feeling slight confusion in her opponent, Tsubasa suddenly ducked out of the woman's grip, pivoting sharply in place while unsheathing her katana in an effort to deliver the first blow. A loud clash of metal rang out as her blade barely missed its target. The long blade had been effortlessly stopped by a mockingly shiny silver dagger.

Tsubasa finally stood face to face with her impudent assailant. This other woman was a bit taller than her. Though a black cloak hid her bodily features, the aura of a strong being was undeniable. Tsubasa’s eyes traveled up to her opponent’s face, noticing the arrogant smirk that played on her lips. For a moment Tsubasa had lost all sense of reality, as her indigo eyes met astonishing turquoise ones peering out from under the cloak's hood. Dangerous, but bewitching vibes spread around this woman, scaring and fascinating her at the same time. Tsubasa felt like a moth charmed by a light. Her body tensed instinctively, ignoring the protest of her blurred mind. Was this the person from the city rumors? The person in front of her looked merely unreal and for sure might be the character of an enigmatic legend.

“Interesting.” Chuckled the seemingly amused mysterious woman. These words returned the sentinel back to the material world. “You are a foreigner.”

Tsubasa frowned, but said nothing, not wishing to be dragged into useless conversation right now. So far she didn’t understand what exactly was going on here, but she was assaulted just a moment ago and now friendly chat wasn’t an option.

Gaining control over herself, Tsubasa jumped back, creating some distance between them, then rushed forward again with determination in her eyes. Blow after blow was blocked or dodged. The fight promised to not be an easy one. For a long time no one could offer Tsubasa a real challenge, but this was a fight between equally skilled opponents. The sentinel had to admit this woman’s motions were smooth, accurate and gracious. Her cloak wes waving in the air, following her every move. Their fight looked more like a beautiful dance. A beautiful, passionate, dangerous dance, accompanied by the rustle of fabric and clanging metal. The kind of dance where one wrong step could be the last one. Time didn’t seem to exist in this moment. Both women were wholly concentrated on each other, desperately trying to find a breach in their dance partner’s defense.

“Surrender.” Tsubasa belted out between intermittent breaths that threatened to give away her fatigue. A drop of sweat had already started to roll down the side of her face. She knew if this battle didn’t end soon, she would be in trouble. “Surrender, and I will spare your life.” Tsubasa’s voice resonated with a serious confidence as she took an attacking stance, blade positioned in front of her.

A melodic laugh was her only response, as the woman took a few steps away.

Tsubasa grasped the hilt of her katana tighter, expecting a fast attack. But to her surprise, the mysterious woman didn’t move at all. Instead, she lowered her weapon.

“I’ll repeat it only once. Leave while you have a chance and forget about this little hobby of yours.” With these words the woman turned on her heels and vanished around the corner of a building. Tsubasa rushed to follow her, but she had left no trace behind. 

The sentinel pressed her back against the wall, breathing heavily, heart almost beating out of her chest with a loud thrum. Tsubasa’s thoughts began to circle in her head, each one more absurd than the last. ‘Could that woman be the reason for all the rumors around the city? Was she the one who killed the vampire in the alley? The silver dagger could surely be capable of leaving a wound such as the ones on the corpse. _’_ Throughout their battle Tsubasa had felt that her opponent wasn’t an ordinary person, maybe not even human… But this was absolutely unthinkable. A vampire was using a silver dagger to kill other vampires. Something felt off here, otherwise Tsubasa feared she was starting to lose her mind. On the other hand, if her conclusions were right, it was exactly the type of thing to be investigated. ‘ _I need answers…’_ This was her final and only logical decision. Now she only had to figure out how to get them.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old wooden door creaked, letting in a cloaked figure. The dusty, abandoned room wasn’t the best place to spend the rest of the night, but there had been no other choice. After the events earlier, she had to show caution and use the old hideout to avoid being followed.

Her name was Maria Cadenzavna Eve. She lived in this cursed town as long as she could remember. She knew how to stay hidden and survive when almost every living being was the enemy. Better than anyone, Maria knew that no one here would lend a hand to others in a time of need but would gladly stab them in the back. She discovered long ago that it was the common way of things here.

Maria carefully crept towards the window and looked through the dirty glass, closely examining the neighborhood. There was no sign of her being followed. The mist began to dissipate, uncovering the streets as the dawn inevitably approached. Maria could now relax, but not completely let her guard down. Looking around she noticed a threadbare chair in the corner. It appeared to be the only appropriate piece of furniture to use in the room. Having no other choice, Maria brushed away layers of dust and sat down. She crossed her hands over her chest, and fixated her eyes on the shabby ceiling. Her thoughts were bringing her back to the events that occurred earlier… ‘ _Who was this woman exactly?_ ’

Maria had noticed her at the last moment, just before being caught near the dead body, and managed to flee when a stray cat had won her some time. Yet, curiosity made her stay in the shadows and watch what would happen next. Like a detective, the stranger started to examine the corpse, carefully looking at each wound. Maria could say this person had not seen such things for the first time and for sure already figured out who the dead man was. This wasn’t the first time hunters came here, and it would not be the last. Maria had seen enough of them. They were useless and corrupt, sold out to influential people for a bag of coins, doing everything they were ordered to. But not only to humans… Maria was aware of all affairs hidden behind the scenes. Human lives were a small coin in the games of power and greed. The whole country was shrouded in cobwebs of deals between vampires and The Association. Pursuing selfish motives, both sides managed to find a common ground profitable for them. Maria knew it better than anyone…

Now, the woman she faced was well-trained and called herself a sentinel. Her technique and style were both too different from the locals. Still, she seemed to be one of them. But there was something peculiar about this one. A prominent aura of determination, the thing no one here had for a long time. Whoever this woman was, Maria could tell for sure she knew nothing about the true state of things.

‘ _Why did I talk to her…?’_ Maria asked herself a question she couldn’t answer. She groaned at hearing her own thoughts. The desire to warn the woman came to Maria from nowhere and she couldn’t quite explain it. Was it her good nature?

Time continued to pass by slowly as Maria kept thinking about her next move. She ran through every possible outcome of her impulsive actions while quietly humming a song. It was an old habit of hers. This simple action could usually help her relax when things became extremely tough. The plain melody carried Maria back to the times of a calm, simple life; a time, when she knew nothing of the cruel world that existed beyond the shadows. To times before the horrendous night she lost everything, including her humanity. Maria shook her head, chasing away the unwelcome memories. She needed rest not sorrowful thoughts; to forget about everything and fall into the blessed emptiness of sleep. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax as much as it was possible to in an uncomfortable position, allowing her mind to slip away to the dreamless world.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria woke from a familiar burning in her throat. She could still recall how it happened the first time in her life. Back then Maria thoroughly despised this feeling. Many days she tried to deny it, to fight it, but with each passing moment she inevitably moved closer to an uncontrollable blood rage. Maria reluctantly resigned with it and accepted her new nature. If she needed blood to survive and to keep moving forward, then she had no choice but to satiate her thirst. She had learned to control it, found her limits, and accepted her new self. Soon enough, it became a practically trivial routine.

Casting a glance at the window, Maria noticed that the sun desperately was trying to hide behind the horizon. This was the perfect time to look for a meal. Making sure there was no one outside and pulling the hood over her head, she quickly snuck out of the old house. There were not many people on the streets at this hour. Even lamplighters had been trying to finish their job faster and leave for home. The nervous atmosphere followed each person who dared to step outside after sunset and Maria could feel it. With each day it was getting more difficult to look for a victim; the citizens, scared by the stories and rumors, started displaying caution. But there would always be people who ignored all the warnings and kept doing what they wanted.

Maria made her way to the local park. This was a perfect place for a hunt. Choosing a spot with the best view, she leaned against a tree, closely watching the footpath ahead. This alley was the shortest way through the park, stretching from one side to the other. There was something primal about waiting for prey, hiding in the shadows of thick foliage, feeling a languid anticipation. The air was getting colder as the sun completely disappeared from the sky, but she didn’t feel it and didn’t care. With all senses on high alert, tantalizing longing made Maria’s blood simmer in her veins, leeching pleasure from her body.

Soon enough, Maria noticed a lone figure moving quickly through the park. It was only a matter of time, and maybe even some luck, before someone would appear. Like a hawk ready to catch its prey Maria intently watched the person. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her breathing became slow and measured. Now she could see that it was a young woman. Apparently in a hurry to get home faster, she had chosen the shortest but most dangerous path, becoming an easy target and sealing her fate.

A faint squeak escaped girl’s throat as a cool palm covered her mouth and a sturdy hand on her abdomen dragged her away from the path. She tried to break free, struggling to get away and hit the impertinent assailant but all her attempts were useless. Fear flashed in the girl’s eyes as she realized that there was no escape.

“You won’t die today” Maria huskily whispered, causing the girl to tremble. “I promise.” Killing people never was her intention. They did nothing wrong but be foolish enough to appear in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it was hardly a reason to end their lives. She only needed their blood, a small price to pay for a spared life.

Maria gently pushed the girl’s head aside, exposing her vulnerable bare neck. The girl felt a sharp pain travel through her body as two pointed fangs pierced her soft skin. The warm liquid flowed into Maria’s mouth, making her close her eyes and surrender to an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. The fright and pain slowly pushed the girl into the embrace of unconsciousness.

Maria was close to finishing her late snack as the sound of approaching footsteps distracted her from the now entirely unconscious girl in her arms, whose body had already become numb and limp. The fast knocking sound of boots on paving stones was familiar. Maria had heard them the other night.

“Step away from her!” It was an order, coming from behind. The sound of a sword drawn out of a sheath reached Maria’s ears making her muscles tense. But no slash or impact followed.

Maria lowered the girl down onto the dewy grass and casually turned around, facing her poorly mannered intruder. She wiped a thin trickle of fresh blood that lingered on the right corner of her lips with her thumb. “I see…You are still lurking around…” Maria wasn’t surprised to see the same woman from other night here. It seemed they were meant to meet again soon. “It’s rude to interrupt people, you know?” Maria shook her head, looking at the blade pointed right at her. “But we were almost done anyway.” She waved her hand in a generous and forgiving gesture.

“Not as rude as attacking innocent people on their way home.” Tsubasa’s voice was as cold as steel while her icy glare was pinned to the woman standing before her. She had seen enough to understand what was going on here. She was too late to save an innocent person and her own hesitation was to blame, anger and sorrow mixed into one tight unpleasant feeling in her chest.

“First of all…” Maria said as she put her left hand on her hip and sighed. “She’ll be fine.” Her eyes locked with Tsubasa’s. She tried to read the woman’s next move, but for now she only saw the fire of anger and a thirst for justice. It was rather annoying. “If that’s what bothers you, then nothing terrible has happened here. You can’t blame me for the need to eat.” Maria could understand the other woman’s conclusion, if their roles were reversed, she would think the same way, but the reality wasn’t that simple. She had to do it to keep living and didn’t need to make excuses and explain her actions to hot headed strangers.

“Did you think I’d actually believe that?” Tsubasa slowly started to lose her cool, but her face stayed calm and untouched by emotions. The edge of her blade slightly shook as she tightened her grip on the katana’s hilt. She had made a mistake last night when she assumed that this mysterious woman wasn’t another heartless yokai, and she was proven wrong now. What a fool she was to have a single hope that things could be different for once. Now she saw one of her mortal enemies standing near a young girl’s body. A girl who could live a long, happy life, now lost the chance to do so. Tsubasa had devoted her life to prevent such occurrences and failed this time.

“I don’t have time to play with you again.” Maria’s voice sounded agitated and tired. “If you don’t believe me, then look at her closer. Check her pulse. You can even walk her home if you’d like.” Maria chuckled, imagining this scene. “It could be the perfect set up for your own little romance story. A brave knight saves the damsel in distress and live happily ever after. Who knows, maybe she is your destiny.” She winked giving the sentinel a sly smile.

Tsubasa grit her teeth, trying to get her rising rage under control. She rushed forward, not breaking eye contact. Swift like lightning, a flash of steel glinted and swished through the air. Tsubasa’s attacks were simple and straightforward, all aimed at her opponent. Each skillful swipe of the blade missed by only a couple of inches.

The sentinel was an open book to Maria, making each blow predictable and easy to evade. Maria felt a tug in her chest when she looked in the sentinel’s eyes. This pure fire of faith and strong spirit were fascinating, but right now they were fighting against her… “If everyone could fight for people as you do...” Maria murmured quietly with a barely noticeable sadness in her voice. Seizing the moment, she caught Tsubasa’s wrist and squeezed it tight, making her drop the sword. “Don’t force me to be your enemy.” Maria pulled the woman closer, not letting her gain enough space for another attack.

Tsubasa’s heart skipped a beat or two and her cheeks flushed red when her chest brushed against the other woman’s breasts and their faces ended up way too close. “What are you doing...?” Tsubasa said as her voice slightly shook, ruining the visage of her confident and calm demeanor as turquoise eyes met hers. Many questions bothered Tsubasa before this moment. She had spent the whole day thinking and rethinking things, but couldn’t understand this woman’s motive and actions at all. And now, when Tsubasa finally had a chance to get answers, her mind wandered to the sensation of the soft chest pressed against her own, forgetting her purpose in the moment and refusing to create any reasonable phrases.

“You’re cute.” Amused, Maria observed her opponent’s reaction, smirking slyly. It was rather lovely how fast and easily this sentinel was losing her self-control and focus with each passing moment. Maria could feel the rapid rhythm of a pulse under her fingers holding the sentinel’s arm. An increasing desire to taste the blood running hot through the veins from the ardor of battle appeared in Maria’s mind. She lowered her head, breathing in the thin intoxicating scent, almost brushing her cheek against the warm sentinel’s.

“Ugh….” Quiet moans and a murmur nearby on the ground caught the attention of both women making them distance themselves from each other and turn their heads to the source it in unison. Whether it was the right moment or not, the unconscious girl returned to the real world and desperately tried to move and get up. 

Tsubasa’s eyes widened when she realized that all of the words spoken were true. The woman didn’t lie about not killing the girl. She wasn’t unharmed, but she was still alive. It was such a relief for the sentinel, and that didn’t go unnoticed.

Maria felt how the sentinel’s heartbeat somewhat calmed down and how her muscles relaxed a bit. The heart couldn’t lie to her. The foreign woman cared for the well-being of a stranger as if she knew her personally. The meaning of the sentinel title became more clear. Now Maria knew for sure, this woman was not involved in any of the illegal affairs the local hunter association carried out. More than that, she didn’t know such affairs existed, otherwise she wouldn’t be here and most likely wouldn’t even be alive. The idea flashed through Maria’s mind. This pure and naïve soul could help her. They probably couldn’t become real allies, but at least she could get some information through her. It might be worth a try.

“You don’t trust me and I don’t trust you either,” Maria broke the awkward silence first. “But you don’t know what’s going on here. If you really want to help someone, come alone to the abandoned mansion on the southern outskirts at the dawn.” Maria released the confused sentinel and took a step back.

“Sounds like a trap.” Tsubasa knelt down to pick her katana up off of the ground, while still looking at her opponent. The offer was merely strange and sudden, but a few moments ago she was too harsh in her judgment and was proven wrong. Common sense was yelling that it’s an obvious trap, but Tsubasa had been sent here to investigate strange affairs and it was a good opportunity to surpass the dead end.

“And I have no guarantee that you won’t bring friends.” Maria said and shook her head. It definitely was a bold idea, but she was willing to take this risk. It could be a nice opportunity to get closer to the Association.

“I will come.” Tsubasa’s reply was short and cold, as she once again put on a professional mask to hide her emotions.

“I’ll be waiting.” Maria stated as she passed by Tsubasa while casting a brief glance at her face before leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are reading this, then I managed to catch your attention, haha.  
> Some people might ask where is the names of countries and etc? I wanted to keep it as the AU without any connections to our world, but also didn't want to bring unnecessary info. Let's be honest, we are here for the characters, romance and some action, not for the fancy names of locations... 
> 
> Anyway, I want to say thanks to my proof readers Kaworu and Pockets, without their help there would be no story but only drafts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why does everything happen at night?! Maybe coffee can solve some problems..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, I want to make some notes...  
> Since it's the AU, curse of Balal didn't happen here and only one language exists here, but some cultural differences still exist. And as long as people are willing to talk they can understand each other. (But is the curse real reason why people don't understand each other?)  
> 

The lonely moon hung high in the clear sky, though the night was still young. Once again Tsubasa found herself wandering around the empty city, trying to figure out where she should go next. Earlier, she escorted the bitten girl home, listening to idle chatter the entire way. It would have been irresponsible and heartless to leave a helpless girl to deal with the dizziness caused by blood loss, though walking with her was a tedious task. Tsubasa was genuinely relieved when the girl finally pointed towards a house, stating it was hers. The mocking joke from earlier snuck into Tsubasa’s tired mind as the girl leaned on the door and sheepishly smiled at her, offering for her to come inside for a cup of tea. It was merely awkward, if not embarrassing. Was she still thinking about this joke? She hurried to retreat, politely excusing herself with important business to attend to and leaving the girl with a disappointed expression on her face.

Now Tsubasa had to figure out where she should head for her assigned meeting. She didn’t have a map with her and didn’t know the location very well, so finding the right place sounded like a real challenge. She remembered which way the sun had risen and was able to easily determine the direction she should follow. Gladly, there was enough time to waste until dawn. 

The closer Tsubasa approached to the edge of the city, the more expensive and opulent the houses became, competing in wealth with each other. They were all surrounded by high iron fences, each one more extravagant than the next. It was an area in which resided the most respected and rich members of the society: nobles, officials, officers and successful traders. But these weren’t just houses, the lands were filled with yards and beautiful gardens belonging to someone. Every time Tsubasa passed by a new residence, the scent of different flowers teased her nose. It was hard to imagine that there could be any abandoned places here. Though nothing looked lifeless, everything gave off an air of unfriendliness and even a hint of hostility. Tsubasa’s feet slowly followed the stone road, leading her closer to a small crossroad. She stopped right at the center of it, attentively scanning the area.

Tsubasa began to think that she took a wrong turn somewhere or was perhaps misled by her sense of direction, when her eyes fell onto a mansion that sat at a bit of a distance from the others. Strangled by the overgrown wild ivy, the iron fence surrounding the mansion looked more like a dark green hedge. Moving closer, Tsubasa peered into the area, but couldn’t notice any signs of possible tenants. The old rusty wicket made a vile creaking sound as she pushed it and walked inside. Tall grass sprouted around the walkway stones, hiding the path from uninvited guests and making it hard to walk. Nevertheless, Tsubasa’s experienced eyes noticed that the grass was slightly crumpled and free from dew, meaning that someone had passed through here not too long ago.

Making her way through the verdurous yard, Tsubasal felt a bit sad seeing this place in such desolation. She could imagine how beautiful this house would have looked in its days of glory. The large windows were now covered with dirt and dust, but Tsubasa could imagine how bright light had once shone through. The fretwork on the façade had been ruined by time and weather, and now the main wooden door looked rickety and frangible, but back in its time, all of that must have looked absolutely beautiful. Tsubasa suddenly caught the faint scent of roses coming from somewhere. Turning to her right, she noticed several resplendent rose bushes that looked like someone had been taking care of them for a long time. All of the dead branches were meticulously pruned, weeds near the roots were torn out, and the grass wasn’t overgrown as it was everywhere else. The gorgeous flowers ruefully swayed in the slight wind, yearning for a reason that only they knew.

Having some free time, Tsubasa decided to explore the new area, so she went around the building trying to distract herself from the thoughts about the impending meeting. The path to the backyard was in the same state of neglect as all of the other walking ways here, but there were hints of someone’s presence as well. Tsubasa started to think of possibilities; maybe some kids liked to come here and play or some homeless people used this place as shelter, but her stream of thoughts stopped as her feet brought her through the garden to three lone headstones, sat under a willow thee. The graves seemed to be well maintained and cleaned of any moss or dirt. Two fresh white roses were placed near each of them, as an offering for the people resting in peace here.

 _‘Eve…’_ Tsubasa read the surname as well as the date of death on each one, noticing they were all the same. She saw that there were two adults and a young woman buried here, all died on one date five years ago. Something tragic must have occurred.

“Too early…” Came a quiet and tired voice from behind the tree. Tsubasa could already recognize this melodic voice anywhere. She turned her head, expecting to see its owner.

“I don’t like to be late,” Tsubasa answered calmly. In fact, she had been worried that she would miss the meeting hour. “Why did you want to meet here?” The sentinel was a bit confused after everything she managed to see so far. This place could hardly be called an ordinary one and definitely held some history behind it. They could have met anywhere in the city, or even stayed in the park to talk, but the mysterious woman still chose this sorrowful place.

“I assume you don’t know the story about this ‘haunted’ mansion.” Maria said as she walked out from the shadow of the tree, moving closer to one of the graves. She laid a hand on the headstone and gently caressed its edge with her fingertips. “No one comes here. People believe it’s cursed and the spirits of the dead wander around.” Maria had been watching the woman’s reaction. Everyone in the city heard the story of this mansion and the members of The Association knew it better than others. This was supposed to be the final test for the sentinel to pass in order to prove that she was not involved with The Association’s true plans. Maria had to be sure of it, otherwise her own plan could be ruined as well as everything she had done up until this moment would become useless.

“It’s ridiculous.” Tsubasa discontentedly frowned, starting to lose her patience. She didn’t come here to hear another invented story about ghosts, spirits and curses. If this was some kind of joke, then it wasn’t funny at all. “Did you invite me here to talk nonsense? What kind of game is that?” Tsubasa’s hand reached for her katana as she instinctively took a step back expecting a surprise attack.

“I invited you here because I think we may have a common goal.” Maria looked at the woman, watching her actions. Her turquoise eyes flickered dimly in the moonlight as they locked with the sentinel’s indigo ones. “My name is Maria Cadenzavna Eve.” Maria’s voice sounded strong, full of confidence and pride, as she introduced herself. She pushed her hood off and ran her hands through her long coral hair, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders and down her back.

With this introduction, Tsubasa glanced at the names on the gravestones once again, wanting to be sure that her eyes and mind didn’t play a trick on her. The surname Maria said and the surname engraved in stone were one in the same. Tsubasa’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked back at Maria, trying to figure out the meaning of it all. Obviously one way or another they were related, but it didn’t explain much.

“My family was murdered five years ago. Officially it’s the robbers doing.” The anger in Maria’s voice made Tsubasa shiver, but she tried to keep a neutral face and listen as the woman continued. “But in truth, The Association was involved as well as the vampires.” The painful memories made Maria tightly grit her teeth. She didn’t speak about her past to many people, especially strangers, but without at least a short explanation there was no possibility to make any agreements with a foreign person. “This country is nothing but a living nightmare. There is no place for justice or law. People who pretend to be the protectors are sold out to the creatures they have to fight.’ Maria clenched her fists, feeling the pain as her nails sunk into her skin. “Instead of protecting people, The Association makes deals with vampires. They gain power and prosper, killing anyone who disagrees. If you are working for them…”

“I don’t.” Tsubasa coarsely interrupted the speech, not willing to listen until the end. Whatever Maria was about to say had nothing to do with her. “I’m not taking orders from anyone here. I was sent to watch them, not serve.” She said bluntly, not leaving any room for speculation. Maria’s story sounded unbelievable for Tsubasa, but at the same time, it was hard to ignore how perfectly accurate it fit with everything the Kazanari clan was worried about in the first place. If this was the truth, then their concerns weren’t meaningless and everything Tsubasa felt while she talked to the Association’s hunters now made more sense. They didn’t explain much, were awfully secretive, and even lied about everything. Only one thing didn’t make sense here; why in the first place had they started negotiations with the East and called for help? “You killed the vampire the other night, didn’t you?” Now Tsubasa was sure about it, but wanted to hear a confirmation. “Was he involved with The Association?”

“He was one of their agents.” Maria nodded. “And he was directly involved in one case I’m working on right now.”

“Is it all about vengeance?” Tsubasa skeptically looked in Maria’s eyes for an answer. If it was only about revenge she didn’t want to be involved.

“Partially.” Maria shrugged. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want anyone else to suffer like I…like we did. And I want to stop this mayhem once and for all.” She lowered her eyes to the headstones again, taking a slow breath to calm down her anger.

“But yet you attack people.” For Tsubasa it was hard to trust Maria right away and fall for a sad story that could be a lie. She knew very well how dodgy and convincing people could be when they need something.

“I have to. But I prefer to do it when I’m controlling myself, not while in a blood frenzy.” Maria carefully took a few steps closer to the sentinel, trying to not cause any reckless actions. “You saw it; I don’t kill them. And unusually I look after them afterwards. But today I had a feeling that you wanted to lend me a hand.” A sly smirk curved her lips for a moment. “I was supposed to die that day with my family, but yet… I survived and became what I am. It wasn’t my choice. Now I refuse to die easily. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.” The confidence in Maria’s eyes caught Tsubasa off guard. She had never thought about such things. For her, vampires were just bloodthirsty monsters that she was taught to kill with no mercy, without hesitation or doubts. It was the old way of the Kazanari clan, to destroy every threat to the nation and protect the country from enemies, whoever they were and no matter what it took. But now Tsubasa was standing here in front of Maria, a person who had been betrayed and lost everything, yet was trying to change the way of things, refusing to fall under the pressure of fate. By the rules of her family, Tsubasa would have to kill this woman without thinking because no matter what she said, she was still a possible threat. However, the sentinel’s own morality strongly protested. More than that, she had a mission here and it seemed Maria was the only one who could help her now.

“And what do you want from me?” Tsubasa asked removing her hand from the hilt of her sword.

“Stay and fight with me. Together we have a better chance of stopping them.” Maria reached her hand out to Tsubasa, offering to become allies.

For a moment Tsubasa hesitated. “Alright, but don’t expect a blind trust from me.” She said and took Maria’s hand, slightly squeezing it.

“Of course.” Maria smiled, pleased that everything had gone smoothly and better than she had expected. She learned to read people and could see that Tsubasa is too noble and proud to break her word or betray her trust. It was impossible to imagine that such a naïve and lawful person would have any hidden motives. For many reasons Maria would rather have this woman on her side than as an enemy. “So…” She raised an eyebrow inquiringly, not knowing how to address her new companion.

At this moment, Tsubasa realized that she had failed to introduce herself and it was simply impolite. “Kazanari Tsubasa.” Her voice shook a bit but she managed to keep a straight face to hide her embarrassment.

Maria’s eyebrow slightly flinched. She had heard the name of this family before, and it hadn’t been because of only good things. Yet, she had felt the rhythm of Tsubasa’s heart before and it didn’t lie. She wasn’t capable of doing the things that Maria had heard about her family. Further, Maria believed that family did not really define who a person was.

“So, Tsubasa, why exactly are you here and so far from home? Are you alone?” Maria was curious to know more about Tsubasa. It was strange to see someone like her here and cooperating with The Association. She couldn’t be alone with such a task.

“An agreement was made between our two countries, and now we exchange experiences and communications. I’m here to represent my family and to assist our allies. They sent me here as the sword of the Kazanari clan.” Tsubasa told Maria the official version of events, but there was more to it and she hesitated to divulge it all. But if they were supposed to be allies it could be a nice gesture of trust to say more. “But the Kazanari clan doesn’t trust The Association, and I’m here to investigate the real state of affairs before we get too involved. So far, I’m doing insignificant errands for the local Association headquarters.”

“Such an irony.” Maria laughed, pressing the fingertips of her left hand to her forehead right above her eyebrow. “If they sent you patrolling at night, then they are trying to make you hunt me down because they can’t do it themselves without any help.”

“Why do you think that?” Tsubasa crossed her arms over her chest, skeptically looking at Maria. This statement was rather bold one.

“Because I’m their main problem here.” Maria smirked with pride, exposing one of her sharp white fangs. “I have ruined more than one of their plans, and they can do nothing about it.” She knew her enemy well enough that they had become somewhat predictable. The situation with Tsubasa was clear as day. Sending in someone new with unique skills looked like a good plan, but The Association couldn’t foresee everything. And they certainly wouldn’t expect their new trump to ally with their enemy. “You meet their agents sometimes, right?” The thoughts in Maria’s mind started to move faster, trying to decide how she and her new companion should act now. They could be few steps ahead, if they were to plan everything just right.

“Yes. They said they’ll let me know when and where the next meeting will take place.” Tsubasa nodded in agreement. There wasn’t any specific place set for meetings as far as she knew. For now, she could only guess how the Association would contact her.

“Next time you meet with them, don’t let any of them touch you. Especially on your bare skin.” Maria’s words were strange and nonsensical. Reading the confusion in the sentinel’s eyes, Maria took a step closer. She carefully raised her right hand, not wanting to scare Tsubasa or make her feel uneasy, and gently laid it on the woman’s shoulder. Her thumb slightly, as if by accident, grazed Tsubasa’s bare neck.

“Maria, what are you doing…?” Tsubasa’s heart started to beat faster, as panic slowly grew in her mind. She decided to trust Maria in the moment, but this sudden contact was too unexpected. A shiver ran down her spine, as she tried to stop a gale force of emotions.

“Your heart is beating so fast, Tsubasa…” Maria said, intrigued by the reaction caused by her simple touch. She couldn’t hold back a smile. “Are you afraid or excited?” She teased, caressing Tsubasa’s soft neck with her thumb more emphatically. The sentinel’s cheeks flushed red, but she didn’t try to break contact, not quite understanding why. “If they send someone like me, it would be pointless to lie. Your pulse will betray you even if you think you are controlling yourself perfectly.” Maria removed her hand, leaving Tsubasa with a mix of embarrassment and a barely noticeable sense of disappointment. “I can feel how blood flows in your veins through touch.”

“I…” Tsubasa cleared her throat, trying to restore some confidence to her voice. “I’ll be careful.”

“You didn’t know it’s possible?” Maria tried to hide a laugh covering her mouth with her hand. Tsubasa looked cute and funny when she tried to look confident while having tomato-red cheeks.

“Of course not.” Now Tsubasa was frustrated, thinking that Maria was laughing at her ignorance. Yes, it was a new piece of information for her, but it had nothing to do with killing vampires and she had never needed to discuss anything with them before. “I’ve never been touched by a vampire and all the more we’ve never discussed what we feel.”

“It was your first time?” A sly smile played on Maria’s lips. “Exited it is then.”

Looking for an explanation for her lack of knowledge, Tsubasa didn’t notice how easily her words could be misunderstood. Realization hit her like a heavy rock after Maria’s words sunk in. Tsubasa opened her mouth wanting to protest, but couldn’t say a word as her cheeks took an even darker shade of red.

“If we are done here, I…I’m leaving.” Tsubasa blurted out, turning around and walking away. She wanted to hide in the deepest cave she could find as soon as possible and never come out again. It took all of Tsubasa’s willpower to not run, but to walk somewhat casually, or at least that’s what she was hoping for.

“Come here in two days at sunset!” Maria tried not to yell, but made her words sound loud enough for a quickly receding Tsubasa to hear. Considering the sentinel’s raised hand as a gesture of confirmation, Maria humphed in satisfaction. However, her smile quickly faded away, as she turned to face the graves once again. Maria knelt down and ruffled the grass with her hand.

“Am I doing the right thing, Serena?” She whispered quietly. The question was fated to remain unanswered and Maria could only try to guess what her sister would tell her now. She laid her palm on her own chest, trying to ease the tight feeling inside. Maria still had some doubts about trusting Tsubasa, for now it was merely a lottery game.

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Tsubasa’s steps finally slowed on the pavement as she managed to calm down a little bit. All she could think about was how Maria became insufferable with all of her teasing. But when an image of the coral haired woman appeared in Tsubasa’s mind again, she felt an annoying flutter in her belly. A quiet groan of irritation escaped her throat as she sped up her pace, wanting to reach her apartment faster.

The Association was kind enough to provide her with a place to live. It wasn’t a luxurious house or room in a hotel, but a simple cozy dwelling with everything she could need. There was a bad side to it, though – they knew where to find her. Now, after her conversation with Maria, Tsubasa unwillingly began to think that she could be under surveillance. Not that she believed in everything the woman she just met had said, but so far her side of the story sounded more real than everything she had heard before. Tsubasa felt that her head was ready to crack from of all of her thoughts and doubts. Conspiracies were not her field of expertise or knowledge. She was used to following simple orders while locking away her heart and feelings, but now, Tsubasa found herself stuck in a web of inexplicable events and didn’t know how to proceed with the mission entrusted to her. Had she betrayed her family and friends by accepting Maria’s offer? Maybe she should have keep fighting, not talking. But if she were to do that, wouldn’t she betray the very people she had sworn to protect? If Maria was right, many people were suffering here and they could stop it together.

Lost in her thoughts, Tsubasa almost bumped into a tall man standing near her door. His clothes looked like he had found them in a local rubbish dump or had been wearing them for many years. His dark brown coat was covered with patches, not one of them matched in color. The same patchwork covered his linen pants. Only his hat didn’t have any holes, though it was still badly worn out. The man blocked her way and slightly lifted his shabby hat in greeting gesture.

“Good…” The man started to say as he looked towards the window at the end of the hallway. The sky already began to burn with the orange tint of dawn. “…morning, Ms. Kazanari. We started to worry that something happened to you.” The corner of his lips curved into a fake smile as he reached for the pocket in his coat.

“Greetings…” Tsubasa tried to appear unfazed. This unexpected guest didn’t need to know that she was surprised and puzzled. Of course, she already understood who had sent him, but not why at this time. Quite a coincidence, The Association agent appeared just after her meeting with their self-proclaimed main problem. “I tried to explore the city. It is easy to get lost here.” Her voice sounded cold and distant, as her hand rested on her katana’s handle.

“I’m so glad you found your way back and remained in one piece.” The fake smile returned to his face when he pulled out a small leather bag from his pocket. The man extended his hand, cradling the bag in his palm. Tsubasa heard a little clink from inside it. “This is for expenses. The Association doesn’t want you to be in need,” he added, tossing the bag in the air and swiftly catching it again. “But enough about work. Did you find anything to your liking here?”

Tsubasa started to reach out to accept the gift, but a loud bell in her head echoed Maria’s warning: ‘don’t let any of them touch you.’ She stopped in hesitation.

‘It’s ridiculous _.’_ Tsubasa mentally told herself, frowning and closing her eyes for a brief moment. She felt paranoia growing stronger in her mind, as she glanced again at the man, who waited patiently. Yes, Maria proved her point, but it didn’t mean everyone could now do the same thing…or could they? Tsubasa grit her teeth, trying to not let her interlocutor notice. She had to do something already; her hesitance being suspicious enough on its own.

The man one again tossed his gift in the air still smiling. In one swift move Tsubasa caught the bag before it fell back into man’s hand. “Thank you.” She said and smiled back politely. “Now let me pass. The night was long and I want to rest.” The tone of her voice left no room for negotiation.

“Sure.” The man stepped aside, hiding his hands in his coat pockets. His face remained calm, but Tsubasa noticed one of his eyes twitch as well as the edge of his lip, pointing towards a deep discontent. She decided to ignore it, unsure if it was just part of her imagination or not. She only wanted to fall on her bed already and be left alone. But when Tsubasa passed by The Association agent, her instincts began to yell in high alert. Turning her face, she saw how the man reached a hand out to catch her wrist. It all happened so fast, but in the last moment she managed to draw her hand back, leaving the man grabbing at the air.

“I only wanted to say goodbye.” The fake smile again played on man’s lips, as he nodded his head. Not waiting for her answer, he retreated down the hall.

Finally standing in front of the door, Tsubasa pulled out her keys and opened the lock. When a loud click signaled that it was open, Tsubasa quickly slipped into the apartment, slamming the door behind her. The room was still shrouded in darkness. The windows faced towards the north, so the light of dawn wasn’t able to reach in just yet. For a moment all she could do was stand there in silence with her back pressed to the door with her eyes closed. Tsubasa’s heart beat in her chest like crazy. Though she wasn’t afraid of the man, such a simple interaction caused her a massive adrenaline rush. This ability to detect lies and a person’s emotional state sounded very much like mind reading. Tsubasa not only felt uncomfortable with that idea, but it almost frightened her. For some reason, though, her instincts hadn’t warned her when Maria did it… Tsubasa finally shook her head and locked the door behind her. She unbuttoned her coat and threw it to the side, not bothering to look where it landed. She untied the blue silk cord on her belt to remove her katana and laid it on the bed. Tsubasa felt exhausted and drained, both physically and emotionally. After taking her shoes off, she fell back onto the bed next to her sword, and drew in a deep breath. Tsubasa turned on her side and slid her fingers over the cold katana’s sheath. Feeling more or less at peace now, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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It was already past noon when Maria was rudely pulled from the land of dreams. She felt someone shaking her shoulders impatiently, desperately trying to get her attention. After a pause, she remembered that last night she didn’t have to worry about being followed and could finally return home. Sleeping in her own bed was much better than struggling in some forsaken hideout without proper furniture. Now she didn’t want to leave the soft embrace of her blankets.

Maria had bought this house a few years ago because couldn’t stay alone in her family mansion, and soon after she met two girls, Kirika and Shirabe, who quickly became like her sisters. Being refugees of the East, they didn’t have a place to go, so Maria suggested for them to live with her. Soon she revealed her secret to them and was immensely happy when they didn’t reject her. It was nice to have close friends again. Their support eased her yearning and returned bright colors back into her life. Sometimes she didn’t come home at night, but the girls knew her reasons and assisted her any way they could. For Maria it was always pleasant to know that she had a place to come back to and people who waited there for her. Knowing that she was not alone helped her to keep fighting.

“Wake up, Maria!” A high female voice rang in Maria’s ears, making her groan as she reluctantly opened one eye. “We have no food left here…” continued a plaintive complaint.

“Kiri-chan, let her sleep” answered a more soothing voice, trying to calm down Maria’s torturer.

“But, Shirabe…” The conversation threatened to turn into a long argument, making it impossible to fall back asleep.

“Just give me a moment…” Maria said wearily, sitting up on the bed and running a hand through her long hair. It seemed they needed to go out today and buy food or to have lunch outside. Maria couldn’t allow herself to look like a mess in public. She didn’t like to spend too much time outside during the day. It had nothing to do with the myth about sun light, she had experienced first-hand how false this belief was. Maria just didn’t like to meet people. Many citizens knew of her as a survivor of the bloody massacre at Eve mansion which occurred almost six years ago. Their family was quite famous. Maria’s father was a retired military officer, who had dedicated the younger years of his life to the county and was greatly respected by the people. Her mother was always kind and generous, whose ideas of charity programs were successful and helped to aid many. They were like a bright light in times of darkness. And of course their two cheerful daughters were known by everyone as well. The girls could always make people smile by singing lovely songs together. The murder of the Eve family had brought a deep sorrow to everyone. People tried to support Maria, to help her, but all she felt was their factitious pity. As the years passed, the attention on her decreased, yet she could still feel curious and annoying gazes every time she walked the streets.

Finally getting out of the bed, Maria began to choose a proper outfit. looked through the window at a cloudy sky; the calm trees and sun promised a nice and unusually warm day, allowing her to wear something light and simple.

“Are you two ready?” Maria asked her friends as she finished brushing her coral hair. She looked one more time in the mirror to make sure her knee-length alabaster dress was fitting perfectly. The role of an ideal citizen was so easy to play. An elegant dress and warm smile could make anyone distracted enough to not notice anything else.

“Yes!” The blonde haired girl in black breeches and a deep green vest over an olive blouse happily announced and victoriously raised her fist in the air while standing in the middle of the room 

“Kiri-chan is always ready when there is food involved.” Nodded the other girl in a pale pink blouse and black skirt as she walked closer to Kirika to take her hand. Her dark hair tied in two side tails was almost touching her shoulders.

“But it’s because I care about you, Shirabe! You need to eat too.” Protested Kirika, making a pouting face.

In response Shirabe only gave her an intense look but said nothing.

“Let’s go then.” Maria said and opened the front door, waiting for her friends to leave first.

The trio walked down the streets and joyfully talked, trying to decide where they should go. Maria didn’t really need food, though she could still find pleasure in familiar tastes and smells, as they awakened some nice memories.

Suddenly Maria’s gaze fell on a familiar figure through the window of the nearest café. Her steps slowed down, as she could finally see the sentinel in the light of day. Maria realized that Tsubasa’s hair wasn’t black as she had assumed at night, but had an unusual yet beautiful blue tint. When Maria looked at her face, she noticed right away how exhausted the woman looked. Tsubasa was supporting her head with her left hand, indifferently looking into a cup on the table in front of her.

“Maria, is everything fine?” Shirabe’s voice sounded worried, as she looked at her older friend with deep concern. Maria didn’t notice how she had stopped and lagged behind.

“Yeah” Maria turned to face the girl and sincerely smiled. “How about some desserts?” She felt a strong urge to talk with Tsubasa and make sure everything was alright. Somehow she guessed it had to be related to The Association and she needed to find out what happened. Gladly, she could always count on Kirika’s love for sweets.

“Yes! Let’s go!” Kirika exclaimed, grabbing Shirabe’s hand and pulling her to the side of the café, ignoring her protests.

The little bell above the café entrance amiably jingled, as three new customers came inside. The smell of fresh coffee and baked goods engulfed the place, making guests feel relaxed and at home. Usually at this time of the day there were not many customers, leaving the café in a pleasant silence.

Lost in her thoughts, Tsubasa didn’t pay any attention to the new visitors. She was desperately trying to stay awake, pinching the bridge of her nose. Despite easily falling asleep the night before, she hadn’t managed to get enough rest. Only a few hours passed until steps in the hallway woke her up, causing her to instinctively grab her sword and prepare to defend herself. Of course it turned out to be a false alarm, but it had been enough to make it impossible for her to fall asleep again. She automatically attached the katana to her belt, grabbed a dark blue blazer from the back of a chair, and left the room. Since arriving in this country, Tsubasa learned about a drink called coffee, which helped people to stay peppy much longer and also aided in waking up. Now was definitely the time to try one.

“Tough night?” The familiar melodic voice drew Tsubasa’s attention, making her raise her gaze to the person standing next to her. For a brief moment she thought she had fallen asleep and was in the middle of a strange dream. Yesterday she could never imagine a beautifully dressed Maria standing near her in the middle of the day in public place. From what she had been told before, Tsubasa would assume The Association was hunting Maria; wouldn’t it be too dangerous to walk around like this? But all of the important questions faded from her mind fast. Tsubasa opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, failing miserably in her attempts not to stare. The woman was stunning. Tsubasa couldn’t tear her eyes off of Maria’s neck and collarbones, which were framed perfectly by her flowing hair. The desire to feel the softness of Maria’s skin under her fingers pierced Tsubasa, making her slightly squeeze the fabric of the tablecloth.

“Yeah…” Tsubasa’s voice sounded a bit husky, when she managed to break this awkward moment by forcing herself to talk. She faced her cup once again and took a sip from it, hiding the newly pink tint of her cheeks. “I thought you preferred night walks…” Understanding that she couldn’t ask straight questions here, Tsubasa found it quite difficult to hold such conversation.

“Sometimes.” Maria smiled. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, as she observed Tsubasa’s reaction. She could tell for sure how extremely surprised the sentinel was, but there was something else in her expression… “Something happened after you left yesterday, didn’t it?” Maria asked curiously as she had a few free moments to spare while Kirika and Shirabe were examining cakes and pies and asking the owner what the filling was in each one. She sat across from Tsubasa and looked at her expectantly.

“I had an unexpected guest.” Shortly answered Tsubasa, lowering her voice almost to a whisper. “I think they are watching me now.” She casually smiled and raised her cup to take one last sip of coffee. “It’s not safe to…”

“Maria!” Tsubasa was interrupted by a blonde girl approaching them with her hands filled with plates. “A friend of yours?” The Girl nodded in Tsubasa’s direction, carefully placing her “treasures” on the table. One look at her was enough for Tsubasa to see that she wasn’t a local, but from the East as well.

“We met few days ago.” Maria smiled softly. “Tsubasa was quite persistent in her attempts to hit on me.” A playful glint shined in her eyes, as she glanced at Tsubasa.

“I didn’t…” Tsubasa started to object, but couldn’t find suitable argument. The memory of her last attempt to explain things were too fresh in her mind and she didn’t want to embarrass herself twice in a row.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Akatsuki Kirika.” The girl grinned brightly and sat with them, pulling a few plates closer to herself.

“Maria, as I was trying to say before…” Tsubasa wanted to warn Maria and explain what exactly happened with her visitor and why it wasn’t wise to stay around her right now, but Maria interrupted her with a pointed stare. Maria shook her head and silently mouthed ‘Not now’, leaving Tsubasa confused and concerned. 

Maria didn’t want to discuss anything around Kirika and Shirabe, even in the vaguest of ways. Both girls knew how to protect themselves and were skilled enough fighters for fair combat, but they didn’t have enough experience, and Maria didn’t want her young friends to be involved in any wicked games for as long as possible. She knew they would worry about her and eventually would be dragged into trouble. The girls had already given a try at some spy missions before, as they called it, but passers-by thought they looked too suspicious and called for the authorities. In the end, the girls were almost taken in to the police station, but they had managed to escape.

“You are from the East too, right, Tsubasa-san?” Kirika asked, looking at the cake in front of her and impatiently breaking off a piece of it with her fork. Her green eyes shone with a sparkle of joy. “Did you run from the Kazanari too?” She asked without a second thought, hiding the piece of cake in her mouth.

“No...” Tsubasa’s expression darkened in confusion at this question. She didn’t know how to react in this situation. She noticed how Maria raised an eyebrow, looking at her with curiosity in her eyes. 

Maria knew that Shirabe and Kirika ran from the East to stay away from the Kazanari clan. They accidentally became witnesses to a special operation one day on their way home. The girls had heard a female cry out and ran to help, but they inadvertently stepped right into the scene of an execution. Several men with katanas were standing near lifeless bodies in a puddle of blood. Crouching on the ground off to the side was a scared woman, crying and begging for them to let her go. She was frantically promising to not tell anyone about what she had seen when she noticed Shirabe and Kirika and cried for help, crawling closer to them. The leader of the armed men gave the order to kill all witnesses… The girls had to run if they wanted to stay alive. They could only stay safe far away from the homelands, where the hand of the most powerful clan in the country couldn’t reach them.

“Here, Maria.” The dark haired girl placed a cup of hot coffee on the table in front of Maria, easing the tension hanging in the air. “Who is your friend?” She asked.

“Subafa –fan is fhom fe Eaft foo!” Kirika answered the question, but a full mouth made it almost impossible to understand her.

Maria giggled. “Kirika is trying to say that Tsubasa came here from the East just as you two did.” She smiled, tracing her finger around the edge of the cup.

“And this is Tsukuyomi Shirabe.” Kirika pointed at the girl with both her hands. “My beloved partner. We are on the run together.”

“Why would you run from Kazanari?” Tsubasa blurted the question out. She was confused and pained, not understanding why anyone would want to run from the people who had sworn to protect others. 

“Because they don’t like witnesses.” Shirabe answered, while dragging the plate with last piece of cake closer. “We have a death mark on our backs.”

“But…” Tsubasa was ready to say that it’s all lies, but stopped when she saw the sad look in Shirabe’s ruby eyes.

“They saw something they were not supposed to see. I assume you can understand what I mean. You’re Kazanari after all.” Maria’s voice sounded a bit cold and estranged. She wanted to see what Tsubasa had to say now, when cornered at the face of her family’s crimes. It was quite interesting and informative to see the reaction in such an extraordinary and inconvenient situation. If she wanted to learn more about Tsubasa’s nature without asking too many questions, this was a good chance for it.

Everyone at the table stared at Tsubasa. Kirika and Shirabe’s expression quickly changed from friendly smiles to clear distrust and contempt.

“Did they send you to kill us?” Kirika gritted her teeth, as her fingers clenched on the table edge. “Is it really worth all the effort?” The mix of anger and fear raged in the girl. She and Shirabe threw away everything they had and left their home, but it hadn’t been enough to live freely. The ghosts of the past were hunting them even on the other side of the world. Shirabe silently stared at Tsubasa and moved closer to Maria. In her head were the same thoughts as in Kirika’s, but now they didn’t have to face it alone.

“No...” An unpleasant and tight feeling squeezed Tsubasa’s heart, as she looked from one girl to the other. She saw aversion and despair in their eyes, all directed at her. “Yes I’m merely the sword of Kazanari clan but…” She tried to keep a neutral expression while the storm of emotions raged in her soul.

The pain in Tsubasa’s chest grew stronger. She had once heard rumors about actions beyond any kind of laws done in the name of the greater good, but back then she had refused to believe that the Kazanari clan would kill innocents. They were her family; she could never believe it. Was all she knew only an illusion? Was Tsubasa a liar in Maria’s eyes now? A murderer? For some reason that idea hurt her like a sharp knife thrust into her chest.

“Maria, I would never…” Tsubasa frowned, as she was looking for right words to explain. She had never killed any innocent people. She needed Maria to know that, to believe her. Without thinking, Tsubasa laid her hand on Maria’s across the table and slightly squeezed it. Yes, this was the only way to prove her everything. “I was unaware of that.” She looked in Maria’s turquoise eyes, silently pleading to believe her. “I need you to believe me.” Maria was the only person in this city who had been genuinely honest with Tsubasa up until this point, and losing her trust now could ruin all possibilities to become allies. More than that, Tsubasa wanted Maria to trust her, otherwise she could lose the only possible friend she might find here. Maybe for the moment “friend” was a strong word, but at least they could work together, and to effectively do so they had to be able to trust each other fully.

The pink tint of Maria’s checks grew darker, as Tsubasa kept holding her hand. She understood what the sentinel was trying to accomplish, but the unexpected motion caught her off-guard, sending a shiver through her body. The feeling of Tsubasa’s fast but steady pulse bewitched her. Lost in sensation, she forgot what this contact was supposed to be for in the first place. Shirabe and Kirika observed this strange situation in silence, wanting to know what was really going on between these two.

“I believe you.” Maria cleared her throat, breaking their eye contact and looking away.

“My apologies.” Tsubasa pulled her hand away, realizing what had she done. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.” She sat back and made a calm face, yet there was a storm of mixed emotions and feelings under the surface. “And my apologies to you, Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi, on behalf of my family. It’s the least I can do.” Tsubasa lowered her head.

Kirika and Shirabe exchanged quick looks. It was hard to believe that Tsubasa was lying to them. Even the best actor couldn’t express the suffering that reflected on her face.

“If Maria believes you, we’ll try to trust you too.” Shirabe looked at Maria, who still hadn't fully regained her self-control.

“It’s fine, Tsubasa-san.” Kirika laughed nervously, feeling pretty awkward now. She would never expect someone who was supposed to be her enemy to apologize to her in such a manner. “You didn’t do that and you can’t change the past.” 

When the tension around them dissipated a bit, the conversation little by little became more friendly. Maria smiled looking at how impressively Kirika was trying to explain to Tsubasa how to find her favorite stores and places around the city. She was happy to see how her friends, with caution, accepted Tsubasa while ignoring her origins. It brought her hope that maybe the world wasn’t a cursed place and could have a bright future as long as people were ready to talk and forgive.

“It’ll rain soon.” Shirabe pointed at the dark clouds crawling across the sky, “We should go home.”

“Shirabe is right. I don’t want to get stuck here.” Agreed Kirika as she jumped from her stool, impatiently waiting for the others to do the same.

“Wait for me outside.” Maria stood up and, with a friendly smile, approached the café owner. The feast Kirika arranged for herself had to be paid for.

The bell rang once again, now telling a goodbye to the departing customers. The smell of wet dust and rain had already spread through the air. The sound of water falling from the skies could be heard off in the distance, warning everyone that it was time to take shelter.

“Tsubasa-san. Are you going to help Maria?” Shirabe’s question was sudden and unexpected. Tsubasa looked at her not understanding exactly what she meant. She didn’t know how much the girls knew but she hopped that they were not too involved in dangerous cases.

“Yeah. Maria doesn’t tell us much, but we are not dumb.” Kirika nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “I bet you met her during her night ‘walks.’” They didn’t try to stop Maria but yet nothing could make them ignore her actions and stay indifferent.

Tsubasa silently nodded. She was impressed by the girls’ deduction and their deep concern about Maria and their desire to discuss that.

“She seems to be fond of you and trusts you.” Shirabe looked at Tsubasa, menacingly, piercing her with a glare. “Look out for her.” She didn’t have time to say all that she wanted. The door opened and Maria emerged with small smile on her face.

Tsubasa laid a hand on Shirabe’s slim shoulder, confidently nodding in answer to her genuine request.

“Let’s go home.” Maria said, but she hadn’t even taken a few steps away from the door, as heavy rain poured from the sky. “Damn…” She cursed quietly.

“Whoa. It’s cold!” Kirika loudly exclaimed, grabbing Shirabe’s hand. “We should run!” She pulled her dear partner away from the café, laughing happily.

Maria giggled, watching her friends enjoy the rain, as she felt something soft nestled on her shoulders. She looked down and noticed Tsubasa’s deep blue blazer now placed over her dress. “You know; I can’t catch cold.” Maria smiled, but didn’t reject this nice gesture.

“Yes, I know. But your dress…” Tsubasa murmured and slowly looked away, deeply blushing.

The fabric of Maria’s dress couldn’t withstand the rain and surrendered to the element, becoming almost transparent.

“Thank you…” Maria said in appreciation, as a warm trembling feeling appeared in her chest. “I should go now.” For some reason she didn’t want to leave right now, but she had to follow Kirika and Shirabe or they would worry about her.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow.” Tsubasa nodded. Her own light blouse was already soaked through, but her choice of a darker color and thick fabric had saved her from the same fate that had befallen Maria. She looked once more at Maria then turned away, walking home down the street in hurry.

Maria’s eyes followed her until Tsubasa disappeared behind the corner of a building. She took a deep breath and started off in the opposite direction, immersed in her own thoughts.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the way home, Tsubasa’s thoughts were about the engaging scene that had appeared before her eyes a moment ago. She didn’t know if she should thank the rain or curse it, but now it hardly mattered. It took all of Tsubasa’s self-control, and some extra, to give Maria her blazer instead of staring at the seductively soaked, translucent fabric covered breasts, that rose and fell slowly with each breath. Wet coral hair stuck to her silky skin as raindrops ran down her elegant neck. All of that put together made the view irresistible in Tsubasa's eyes. Yes, Maria was beautiful and stunning, but this look was something from secret lustful fantasies. Tsubasa raised her face toward the skies, enjoying the sensation of cold droplets cascading over her now overheated skin. She stayed under the rain a bit longer, hoping that it would clear her thoughts and would help to cool her down to a decent level. After giving herself a speech about how inappropriate these thoughts were for the Kazanari heir, she finally went home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Time to save some innocent lives! Wait, what does hands holding have to do with it?"

As the day came to an end and the night began to take over, Maria headed to the mansion. Even after all of the years that passed, it hadn’t become easier for her to visit this place. She drowned in the sea of sorrowful memories and devouring guilt every time her feet stepped on her family’s lands. Each time Maria came back, she repeated the same ritual of putting fresh flowers near the gravestones to respect the memory of her family. Today she planned to perform the same ritual and not break tradition, however this time, the course of things had been broken.

Maria noticed three bouquets of beautiful flowers as she quietly approached the headstones. After placing her own offering she looked around. At a short distance, Tsubasa sat on the ground with her back pressed against the trunk of the old willow tree. She appeared to be asleep with her katana nestled on her shoulder and her eyes closed, as she breathed evenly and peacefully. Not wanting to wake her, Maria carefully crept closer, watching her every step. She was significantly surprised Tsubasa hadn’t yet noticed her presence, though part of her enjoyed the moment.

Tsubasa's relaxed sleeping face looked fairly lovely, making a warm smile appear on Maria’s lips. Unable to resist, she knelt down near Tsubasa and gently stroked away a stray lock of hair from her face. Maria’s eyes widened in surprise as her fingertips brushed over Tsubasa’s soft, overly warm skin. The sentinel had a fever. She could tell it wasn’t too strong, but yet it was undeniable.

The events of the previous day flashed in Maria’s memory. Tsubasa gave away her blazer without a second thought. She had selflessly shared the only piece of clothing that could protect her from the cold rain and buy her some time to get home safely. And today Tsubasa had brought flowers for Maria’s family. The gesture was touching and thoughtful. It showed what kind of person the sentinel was, taking away the small amount of doubts that Maria had until this moment. Maria couldn’t help but smile softly. She would never guess that behind such a serious façade and warlike appearance, Tsubasa hided a gentle and caring soul.

While lost in her own thoughts, Maria didn’t notice how she had allowed her hand to linger on Tsubasa’s warm check, tenderly caressing it. Tsubasa leaned into the soft touch in her sleep, broadening the smile on Maria's lips. Her eyes traveled down sentinel’s face and stopped at slightly parted lips. The desire to taste these soft and sensual lips flared up in Maria’s mind, forcing her to lick her own lips. It took all of her willpower to resist.

“Wake up, Tsubasa.” She gently called for her new companion while reluctantly removing her hand.

“Sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought.” Tsubasa apologized, briefly rubbing the bridge of her nose. Falling asleep at the place like this…What was she thinking? She didn’t even notice the presence of another person. Shame tightly squeezed her mind, repeating over and over again the same words about the inappropriateness of such a careless action. “I was being followed for some time and it took a lot of effort for me to lose them and come here.” She shortly explained the situation, as she tried to take a more befitting position. “I don’t understand how you walk freely during the day time…”

“I have a reputation of the ideal citizen and a noble lady.” Maria laughed quietly. “And I’m very cautious. So far, only a few agents have seen my face, but none of them survived to tell the story.”

“But they saw us together the other day…” The worry in Tsubasa’s voice was evident as it was in her indigo eyes. If the Association was watching over her, then everyone she had made contact with would be under suspicion. And the meeting in the cafe wasn’t exactly a brief one.

“Being interested in a handsome foreign woman and starting a talk with her in a café isn’t a crime.” Maria’s lips curved in a sly smile. “It hardly looked any different from the outside.” Maria was sure that even if they were watched back then, inside the café there were no agents and their conversation was vague enough to not let on to any closer connection between them.

“I suppose…” Tsubasa murmured, as her cheeks flushed a shade of pink, though in the darkness of the night it was impossible to notice. She couldn’t really tell if Maria joked or paid a compliment, but nevertheless her words provoked a slight fluttering feeling inside.

Maria stood up and reached her hand towards Tsubasa, offering to help her off of the ground. The sentinel gratefully nodded and took Maria’s hand, welcoming the assistance. But the abrupt movement was a bad idea. A fleeting dizziness took Tsubasa by surprise, making her stumble and lose her balance, as her sword fell onto the grass. Maria instantly caught the sentinel, steadying Tsubasa in her arms. A silence hung in the air, as the two woman looked into each other eyes, not knowing what to say. Maria felt the rise of Tsubasa’s heart beat by the passing of each second. Her own heart skipped a beat as she protectively wrapped the sentinel in her arms, while Tsubasa’s hands grasped Maria’s shoulders for stability. The warmth of Tsubasa’s body pressed against hers with the faint smell of camellia drove Maria crazy, awakening the need to feel more and making her mouth and throat unbearably dry.

“Are you alright?” Maria’s voice sounded unusually husky even for her.

“Yeah,” timidly answered Tsubasa, as she shyly looked away. She had never felt as vulnerable and safe, as she did now with Maria’s arms holding her tightly yet gently. The captivating smell of roses wrapped around her, overwhelming all of her senses. Tsubasa carefully tried to place her feet more steadily, accidentally brushing her hip against Maria’s.

“You have a fever.” Maria announced, making an effort to ignore her simmering senses. She was worried about Tsubasa’s state first, even if her body was trying to force her to switch priorities to some more lustful thoughts. “You should go home and rest.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” Tsubasa suddenly frowned and stepped out of Maria’s embrace. She bent over and took her katana from the earth, now focusing on fixing it to her belt. The change of mood was unexpected, but certainly something in Maria’s words hit a nerve and completely ruined the moment. Yes, she was aware of her state and the cold rain was mostly to blame for it. But she couldn’t allow herself to skip her duties because of something as trivial as a cold. Throughout her life she had to surpass much more serious trials by the demands of her family. Compared to them, a slight fever was nothing. The sickness itself was a surprise to her but she knew it wouldn’t last.

“It’s careless.” As their contact was broken, disappointment hit Maria. She already missed the warmth, but this wasn’t the time or place to figure out the reasons for it. She absently checked the clasp of her cloak.

“I’m capable of enduring things much worse.” The cold determination returned in Tsubasa’s eyes and voice, making her a completely different person, the one that Maria saw during their first meeting. She knew nearly nothing about Tsubasa. So far, Maria had barely touched upon the sentinel’s soft side and a few times had seen a cold one. She wanted to know more, to ask what’s wrong, but they had already wasted too much time here.

“I hope so. I’ve invited you here because I need your help.” Maria became serious as well. She had no other choice but to ignore Tsubasa’s state for now. The sentinel was obviously too stubborn and the conversation had the potential to become a fight, so maybe it was best for everything to remain at a professional level. “We need to sneak to the underground…” Maria paused, looking for a better word to describe what she had in mind. “…market. I want to know how they operate and who hides its existence. It took a lot of time to find out the location and time of the meetings.”

“Market?” Tsubasa was confused. The first thing to appear in her mind was some kind of illegal trading: stolen goods, artifacts, and information. But what did it have to do with the Association and their cooperation with vampires?

“You’ll see…Lets go.” Maria turned around and headed towards the back yard of the mansion. This way was shorter and leaving through the main entrance right now was dangerous. Not asking any further questions, Tsubasa silently followed her companion.

Through a maze of narrow alleys, Tsubasa lost her sense of direction and already couldn’t pinpoint exactly where they were. It was hard to keep up with Maria, her footsteps were fast and quiet because she was used to working alone and couldn’t change her habits in one moment. Gladly, Tsubasa managed to keep the pace and not fall behind. Not saying a word, they soon reached an old abandoned building. All of the glassless windows were covered with plywood. Nothing covered the entrance since the door was laying nearby on the ground. The space inside looked like an impassable blockage because of a partly collapsed roof. One look at this place made it clear that it was dangerous to enter.

“There is a maze of tunnels under the city.” Maria decided to explain what they were doing when she noticed doubt on Tsubasa’s face. “I don’t know when they were made, but in here is one of the closest entrances to the place we need to reach.” Maria took Tsubasa’s wrist in her hand and tugged her along inside the building. “Follow my steps.” She ordered, leaving no room for arguing or complaining. Maria had checked this place out several times and knew of the safest way through the ruins without getting hurt. Tsubasa guessed as much, stepping in the same exact spots that her guide had. Maria moved gracefully, making her way through fallen pieces of wooden beams and rocks. Her long cloak and hair never got caught by any of the jutting wreckage. Though fascinated by Maria’s movements, Tsubasa managed to hit her shoulder and almost tore her trench coat, cursing under her breath.

“Are you afraid of the darkness?” Maria asked, as she stopped near a half-broken hatch on the floor. She looked at Tsubasa with a smirk, knowing that this going was to be much more interesting now. They didn’t have a torch or candle and underground tunnels had no source of light.

“Of course not.” Tsubasa answered, a bit offended by the question. How could Maria think she was afraid of something so simple?

“Good.” Maria insidiously smirked, removing the hatch from the way. Then she took the edge of her cloak in her hands and jumped down into the hole.

For a moment, Tsubasa froze and looked at the empty space that Maria was standing in a few seconds ago. Everything happened too fast. When her mind caught up with reality, Tsubasa moved closer to the hole and looked down with hesitation. She could see nothing there but a black bottomless abyss. This was a moment of truth. Does she really trust Maria enough to follow her or walk away while she has the chance? Stubborn as she was, Tsubasa refused to turn away now and she truly wanted to trust Maria. So far she didn’t have a single reason to mistrust her new companion. If she wanted to get rid of Tsubasa, she could have finished her when she caught her sleeping under the tree. The sentinel mentally still blamed herself for such weakness and carelessness, she was lucky that no one there wished to harm her.

Taking a deep breath, Tsubasa laid her hands on the katana’s hilt to hold the weapon still, and jumped down into the hole, repeating what Maria had done a few minutes ago. Her feet hit the solid surface much faster than she expected, barely two meters under the ground. Now Tsubasa stood in complete darkness. She could feel the humid air smelling of earth, hear the distant sound of water drops hitting stone, and yet couldn’t see nor feel Maria’s presence.

“Maria...?” Tsubasa called after taking a deep, calming breath. There was the possibility that Maria had decided to go ahead. But could she leave the poor sentinel behind without a clue for where to go? Panic crawled from the back of Tsubasa’s mind. She reached both hands out from her sides, searching for a wall or anything else to guide her. Her fingers felt only empty space. Taking a step forward, Tsubasa finally sensed a cold and rough surface. Standing with her right hand pressed to the wall, Tsubasa closed her eyes to sharpen her other senses. After a few deep breaths, she could tell that the sound of dripping water was coming from her left, and a weak flow of air moved from the direction of the entrance.

At the same time Maria watched the scene with amusement. She didn’t want to scare Tsubasa, but was curious to learn a bit more about her during these unusual circumstances. Maria could see in the darkness of the dungeon, though not nearly as clear as she could outside. Her heightened senses helped her to complete the whole picture in her mind. So far she was pleased that there was no hint of a real panic. Tsubasa had been trained to rely on all of her senses, using all of them put together and each one separately. Maria wondered what her new companion had to endure before, since she was obviously ready to push her limits, both physical and mental, surpassing any hesitation or fear.

As Tsubasa turned toward the direction of the air flow, she stood face to face with Maria, but a few steps away. She once again reached out her hand to prevent herself from hitting another wall or some lattice with her face, and took a step forward. She couldn’t see it, but her hand came very close to touching Maria’s chest, when she felt cool fingers catch her palm.

“Don’t joke like that, Maria.” Tsubasa sighted in relief. The gentle touch told her it was her companion and no one else. It was hard to explain, but her body reacted to each contact with Maria, no matter how fleeting, by sending a slight shiver down her spine and a fluttering feeling to her stomach. This was new. Tsubasa always held people at a distance and trusting someone so blindly was merely unusual, but her own mind refused to stay rational.

“It wasn’t a joke.” Maria calmly answered, feeling how Tsubasa’s heart calmed down with the contact. “Don’t let go of my hand. I’ll guide you through the tunnels.” She squeezed Tsubasa’s hand and pulled her along.

This time Tsubasa didn’t have the same view as before. She could only sense the movement and hear the knock of boots on stones and the quiet rustle of Maria’s cloak. Their linked hands were the only anchor preventing her from being lost in the maze. These thoughts made her clench Maria’s hand tighter.

Feeling that the grip on her hand had tightened, Maria understood the uneasy state of her companion. She wanted to say something to make it go away, but it was hard to find the right words. Deciding that words wouldn’t help here, Maria slowed down her pace and for a moment released Tsubasa’s hand. Before the sentinel could say anything, she touched her hand again and intertwined their fingers, making their hold firmer and secure.

The darkness of the tunnel was the best thing for Tsubasa in this moment. She was grateful to it for making it impossible to notice her dark red cheeks. As Maria’s fingers locked with hers, a fluttering feeling filled the sentinel’s chest. The rational part of her mind demanded of her to calm down. The hand-holding was only for practical reasons, nothing more, but at the same time, no one had held onto her hand this protectively for many years. Conflicting emotions dulled her senses as she lost track of the time, and all of her thoughts became directed toward the woman holding her hand.

“We are almost there.” Maria broke the strangely idyllic silence. She had felt the changes in Tsubasa’s demeanor but couldn’t interpret what was going on with her. Taking it as worry about their situation, she decided to ignore it as to not draw attention. They were too close to their destination that any side conversations could wait. “Close your eyes when you notice the light ahead. It’ll take some time to get used to the brightness again.” Maria understood that she said a trivial thing that Tsubasa obviously knew, but she didn’t want to leave any little mistakes that would spoil their whole case, especially with the sentinel in such a confusing state at the moment. 

A few moments passed in silence as a dim orange glow appeared ahead of them. They began to make out a space lit by torches from which the sound of voices grew as they approached. Following Maria’s instructions, Tsubasa covered her eyes with her free hand. After taking several more steps, Maria tugged on her hand, forcing her to bend down. The voices were much clearer now, and Tsubasa could understand what the people were talking about. It wasn’t a pleasant topic.

“Are they selling humans?!” Tsubasa whispered indignantly, barely able to keep her voice quiet enough for only Maria to hear. She carefully opened her eyes and saw that they were hiding behind a stone protrusion and on some kind of balcony. While crouching next to Tsubasa, Maria pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, completely hiding her hair and leaving only part of her face showing. Tsubasa looked down off of the balcony and could hardly manage to stop herself from jumping down. The scene in front of her eyes was unacceptable by both her morals and sense of justice. Roughly fifteen people dressed in torn and dirty clothes were chained to the wall. Each person had a thick strip of fabric tied tightly around their heads, covering their eyes. Amongst the people on display were women, men and even a few children. Figures adorned in fancy clothing were walking between the people examining them like they were common cattle.

“Yes. The Association allows this place to exist. Vampires buy new… toys and meals here.” Maria felt anger and rage from seeing all this, and, like the sentinel next to her, was using all of her willpower to hold back and only observe. She wanted to know who the main trader was and to identify the customers. Of course, she didn’t want to leave the victims in the hands of sellers, but for now, they could only observe and wait for the right moment.

The customers casually discussed prices with the sellers and the quality of the ‘goods.’ Their main concern was how well the humans had been fed and if they had any specific diseases. Such a nuisance could spoil the taste and pleasure derived from their prospective meal, not to mention a waste of money. Hearing everything, both women tensed and were filled with wrath while clenching the hilts of their weapons. One of the sellers started to passionately explain how good this new shipment was and claimed that it was the best they could get anywhere in the country. The man pulled a knife from the sheath on his thigh. He approached one of the young women, roughly grabbed her hand in a perfunctory manner, and cut her palm with the sharp blade. The woman quietly whimpered, but didn’t cry out in pain. The seller proudly pulled the bleeding woman closer to the customer, allowing them to have a taste. The customer rubbed their chin and familiarly dipped their fingers in the fresh wound, making the woman whine. They brought their bloody fingers to their lips and licked, tasting the blood as if it were a rare and expensive wine with unique notes in its taste.

Maria covered her nose with the edge of her cloak in one swift motion. It was pointless, though, and she could smell the fresh blood from where she stood. The burning in her throat grew little by little, making it difficult to swallow and also slowed down her breathing. She hadn’t fed in several days and her limit was fast approaching.

“Now.” Maria whispered under her breath, grabbing the silver dagger from under her cloak.

When the customer turned to their companion to discuss the results of the taste test, a silver flash split the air with a quiet whistle. A shrill cry of pain echoed throughout the dungeon as Maria’s dagger pierced the vampire’s chest and stuck in their heart. A panic arose immediately when the vampire’s body dropped to the floor on its back. The sellers immediately started to unfasten the chains from the walls to try and save their precious ‘goods’ as customers started to run for their lives through random tunnels.

Maria jumped from her position right after throwing her dagger and landed on the stone floor gracefully like panther. In a few swift moves, she reached one of the sellers and knocked him out with a blow from her fist to his guts.

At the same time, Tsubasa followed her companion, refusing to be left behind. Noticing one of the customers running to her side, she jumped down the stairs, skipping a few steps, and cut off the escape route of the fugitive to engage them in battle. Her opponent didn’t have any weapons, yet fought back hard, dodging her attacks and trying to catch her with dirty tricks. In the end, they weren’t a worthy opponent. In one sweeping slash of Tsubasa’s sharp katana, she cut off their blocking hand and left a diagonal slit across their chest. The body hadn’t yet hit the floor before Tsubasa rushed forward to help Maria, who was greatly outnumbered at the moment and forced into using defensive tactics. Her opponents were not only three sellers who refused to run away, but also some of the customers who unexpectedly appeared eager to fight.

Maria danced around her enemies, making hard hits with counter attacks. She got caught in battle faster than she expected which didn’t give her enough time to pull her dagger from its new meaty sheath. However, she had learned long ago that it was better to not only rely on her weapon, since tools were easy to lose, but to trust in her own skills as they were impossible to shake off. Many times in the past unarmed martial arts proved to be a useful knowledge and this situation was no exception, however, she had to admit that she could use some help right about now.

As if she could read Maria’s mind, Tsubasa appeared by her side, piercing the chest of one of the vampires with her blade. For a second, both women looked at each other. Maria’s hood didn’t let them lock eyes, but they understood each other and after short synchronized nods, they rejoined the battle. Now working in unison, they stood back to back, covering each other and performing combined attacks. No one who could see this fight would believe it was their first time in battle together. They complemented each other’s moves and styles, becoming a deadly duet. Two more enemies fell dead at their feet in no time, leaving the two women face to face with fancily dressed vampires. Exchanging quick looks, the vampires turned on their heels and rushed away, refusing to accept this place as their grave.

“Damn.” Maria cursed, pulling her dagger from the dead body and running in the same direction as the two scary vampires from a few moments ago. There was no way she would let them escape now. “Take care of the prisoners!” She shouted before disappearing into the darkness.

“Wait!” Tsubasa wanted to follow her companion, but her gaze fell on the scared, shackled people. They were still blindfolded and chained. She couldn’t let them stay like that. Looking around, the sentinel noticed a ring of keys on a seller’s belt. She knelt down and ripped the keys off of them.

“I will free you. Please stay calm.” The last thing she needed right now was for the prisoners to panic and attempt to run away. One by one Tsubasa opened all of the locks, letting the prisoners move freely. Everyone pulled their blindfolds away and looked at the mess that was left of their jailers. An unstoppable stream of gratitude made Tsubasa frown a little, knowing they needed to get out of there first and realizing that Maria hadn’t returned yet. They were far from the end of their little operation.

“Let’s get out of here.” Tsubasa’s calm and cold voice made everyone stop talking and silently nod. She took one of the torches from the wall and looked around, remembering where they came from. Fortunately, the way Maria led her here wasn’t too winding and now with source of light, she could find it effortlessly. The exit could be tricky, but she could solve only one problem at a time. Making sure everyone followed her, Tsubasa headed to the stairs, while still keeping her blade unsheathed. She looked back one last time, hoping that Maria would show up and join them as her feet hit the last stair. But she didn't show up.

Tsubasa led the prisoners back to the surface at a careful pace and in silence. She contemplated asking them some questions to figure out how they were captured and how much time they had spent in the hands of vampires, but her body started to betray her. During the heat of battle, she felt how her moves gradually become slower and only thanks to Maria’s support, she had managed to end the combat without any wounds. Her fever was getting stronger, making the sentinel feel unpleasantly cold and shiver slightly, but she kept fighting through it, pushing all of her limits further.

The flame of the torch began to flicker as they came closer to the exit of the tunnel. Tsubasa hid her katana in its stealth, making a mental note to clean the blade later, and threw the torch aside on the ground.

“One man goes first.” She instructed, coldly looking at everyone. “Then help the women and children get out.” 

After following Tsubasa’s commands, soon enough everyone was standing on the surface under the clear night sky. Happiness overwhelmed the former prisoners and some of them started to cry and laugh. They had already said goodbye to their lives and were ready to suffer until their last breath in the hands of these cruel creatures, but a miracle happened that they didn’t even pray for.

When the first wave of euphoria passed, the former prisoners began to walk in different directions, wanting to meet with the loved ones they left behind after long and unbearable partings. It would be better for them to all stay together and go to the authorities, but right now Tsubasa couldn’t do anything to keep them as an organized group. She could only hope that they wouldn’t get in trouble again on the dark streets of the sleeping city.

When Tsubasa was ready to leave as well, she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Turning into the contact, she faced a middle aged man, one of the people she had led out of the catacombs, unsurely smiling at her.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” He carefully said bowing his head in gratitude. “May I at least ask your name?”

“My name is Kazanari Tsubasa.” She answered politely, but feeling uneasy. “It’s my duty and I don’t require any reward or special gratitude.”

“Oh, you are not even from here and yet you help our people.” His eyes widened in surprise and sparkled in delight. “Ms. Kazanari, please visit my home when you’ll have free time. Come for a dinner, my family will be happy to meet my savior.”

“No need to…” Tsubasa wanted to decline the offer but was interrupted right away.

“Nonsense. We’ll be waiting for you anyway.” The man explained to Tsubasa how to find his house, ignoring all of her attempts to refuse. “Please, come. We truly will be happy.” He smiled, said goodbye, and finally walked away. 

Eventually Tsubasa found herself alone, sighing with relief. The fatigue was again taking over her body, as fever kept torturing it without mercy. Breathing in the cool air of the night, she, once again, mentally reassured herself that it was nothing serious and she could handle it easily. Otherwise, she would not be worthy of the sentinel title and her position in the Kazanari clan. She turned around and looked at the side street they came from. Maria hadn’t come back yet and they didn’t set a meeting place. The situation was becoming rather worrisome. But, then again, why was she worried at all? Maria was capable of protecting herself and knew all of the paths and trails around the city, not to mention, she had extraordinary abilities. However, Tsubasa couldn’t stop thinking that something could go wrong and how she might need help. Turning around, she headed back to the underground’s entrance.

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Winding through the meandering underground labyrinth, Maria was chasing one of the escaping vampires. Several moments ago the two sellers she was after split up and ran in different directions, leaving her to decide which one she would follow. It wasn’t that it was the hardest choice in her life, but that Maria would prefer to kill two birds with one stone, yet this time, it was impossible. Today with Tsubasa, they had already accomplished much more than she could have done alone. Hoping for more seemed too greedy. The chase lasted longer than it would have in the best possible scenario.

The sudden changes in route made it too hard to stop the vampire by throwing a knife in his back. A few more minutes passed in endless run when the vampire loudly cursed, realizing that the last turn had brought him right to a dead end. Today luck was on Maria’s side. The vampire turned around and threw himself at Maria in a desperate attempt to fight his way to freedom. His attack ended miserably when Maria’s knee met his celiac plexus. The vampire’s back slammed against the wall, as he unsuccessfully tried to take a breath.

Maria pinned him to the wall, his head hitting the stones as her fingers tightly gripped his throat. “Now tell me everything you know about the trading that goes on here.” She demanded answers, pressing her silver dagger to his chest.

“You won’t let me go even if I tell you everything.” Gasping for breath, the vampire muttered. He glanced at her with pure hatred and contempt, struggling to break free, as he clawed at Maria’s hand.

“True.” Maria said, immersing the blade of her silver dagger into the vampire’s chest. They never wanted to talk before, and further questions would only waste her time. On a few rare occasions they had been ready to give answers, but in the end all of the provided information was useless.

Maria couldn’t figure out what was making them keep secrets, even in the face of death or torture, and it was becoming frustrating. She never expected that revealing all of the connections with The Association and all of the dark schemes would be easy, but there was always more than one way to move forward. As Maria unclenched her grasp, the body fell on the ground with a thud. Kneeling down and wiping her blade on the vampire’s clothes, Maria began to rummage through his pockets, looking for any items that could tell her who this person was. She found a few pieces of paper, keys, and small useless items which seemed to have more sentimental value than practical use. As reading and examine things without light was hard even for her, Maria gathered all she could find and put in her own pockets. But the most important things would be found on the sellers.

Returning to the place of their recent battle, Maria found Tsubasa walking from one corpse to another, checking their pockets just as she did before. An amused smirk slightly curved Maria’s lips. It was nice to know that they were thinking the same way without needing extra conversations.

“Anything interesting?” Maria asked, coming closer to the sentinel.

“Not much.” Tsubasa shook her head. “One had an old map with some marks on it.” She raised the folded parchment and waved it in the air before putting it in the pocket of her coat. “They are very cautious. I assume we won’t find anything more useful here.” She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Let me look at this.” Maria moved closer and swiftly stole the map from Tsubasa’s pocket. Unwrapping it, she began to study every piece that appeared in front of her eyes. It was a map of the city, but a pretty old one with not many locations that still existed. Any of the new buildings that were made in the past ten years, were not represented here. Marks on some of the houses were in all different forms and colors. Only the meaning of the symbols remained unclear. Right now it was hard to figure out any possible system or meaning hidden behind them at this time. Yet, it was something new to investigate. “Maybe it’ll make sense if I compare it with a newer one…” Maria frowned and folded the map back up.

“Tomorrow something will happen.” Tsubasa calmly said while thoughtfully looking at the stone ceiling. “If you are right and The Association controls all, they’ll of this come to me.”

Realization hit Maria like a good slap to the face. She had forgoten that all this time Tsubasa stayed with her face uncovered and all of the fugitives now knew she was involved in the attack. It was only matter of time when The Association would know this information and would try to deal with the problem. Maria looked at Tsubasa. The woman looked calm and confident, not a hint of fear or worry about the situation appeared on her face, except her hazy eyes were giving out her true state. She needed to rest.

“You can’t go home now.” Maria’s voice was serious. She remembered their last meeting in the café. Tsubasa didn’t sleep well because she didn’t feel safe. The Association was watching her and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t try to catch her of guard.

“Why?” Tsubasa blinked and looked at Maria in confusion.

“Because you need to rest and it’ll be better if you disappear for some time.” Maria raised her hand and touched Tsubasa’s forehead. “And you are still not in the best state. Something tells me you won’t take care of yourself.”

“Ah, you want to take care of me.” Tsubasa calmly said, imperturbably nodding. “No need to worry, Maria. I’ll be fine tomorrow. No one in the Kazanari family gets sick for longer than a day. Actually, I don’t remember any of my uncles or my father being sick… I’m sure this has something to do with the different climate here. Anyway, I’ll be fine tomorrow.” Tsubasa didn’t try to lie to Maria. Some members of the Kazanari family were famous for their great health, inhuman endurance and strength. Tsubasa didn’t think much about it before, but that might be one of the reasons why her grandfather was so obsessed with preserving the Kazanari bloodline. 

“It’s not…” Maria’s checks suddenly flushed red as she heard Tsubasa’s words. Not like she didn’t want to take care of her, but it wasn’t exactly what she was trying to say! “I just don’t want The Association agents to catch you alone and off guard while you are not able to fight in full strength! And alone you won’t sleep well again.” She protested, trying to explain her point more clearly, but it didn’t make it much better. Maybe it was easier to admit that she cared about Tsubasa and didn’t want to lose a good partner so fast over stupid things.

“I’m not sure it’s a good time to spend night together…” Tsubasa frowned looking at Maria. She didn’t really understand what her companion was trying to say here, but if she was being watched by The Association too closely, then everyone involved with her would be in trouble. She figured it was better to stay alone. “I’ll be fine.” She waved her hand and started heading towards the exit.

“So stubborn…” Maria mumbled quietly, watching Tsubasa walk up the stairs. She sighed at the view, the sentinel’s steps already didn’t look as confident as they should. She couldn’t let Tsubasa wander around in such state. It could cause a lot of trouble for them both and, whether she liked it or not, Maria worried about her.

Catching up to her, Maria placed one hand on Tsubasa’s back and then slid the other under her knees, sweeping the sentinel off of her feet to carry her out.

“What are you…” Everything happened so fast that Tsubasa didn’t immediately understand it. “Put me down!” She tried to break away, twitching and making it harder to hold her.

“Calm down. Or I’ll drop you.” Maria groaned. “Enough of this already. There is nothing bad in admitting your weaknesses.” Maria looked down at the slightly pouting sentinel in her arms and smiled. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Tsubasa nodded but didn’t say a word. Nothing she could say right now would change Maria’s mind and she didn’t have enough energy to argue or escape. She could only admit her defeat and surrender. Nestling her head on Maria’s shoulder, Tsubasa relaxed a little. Several days ago she hardly imagined that she could trust anyone here in the foreign country. However, she allowed the woman, she had known only for three days, to carry her through the catacombs to an unknown destination. Life indeed was an unpredictable thing. Tsubasa felt like a lost puppy, taken by a kind soul and carried to a new home. She sighed at the idea, squeezing the edge of her coat with her fingers.

“What’s our plan?” Tsubasa asked timidly. She was curious where they would be staying for the rest of the night and what would be their next move.

“First, we are going to my house. A bath sounds like the best thing to do next” Maria laughed quietly. Relaxing in the warm water was such a tempting idea. “The rest we’ll figure out in the morning. Rumors spread fast.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Not much to do when you are stuck indoors... Is that a famished glance?!"

The night was almost over when the pair finally reached Maria’s house. In the middle of their little trip Tsubasa had fallen asleep, quietly sniffling and mumbling illegible things. Maria couldn’t help but smile. It was hard to believe how fast the determined and stubborn sentinel had turned into an illegally cute person. How hard had she been trying to keep her chosen role, calling herself the sword and making people only see her strong side? Why did she have to wear this mask in the first place? These questions occupied Maria’s mind. She began to feel bad for dragging Tsubasa into the mess and making her a walking target for the Association. She didn’t want to do that, yet her recklessness and miscalculation made it inevitable. It was impossible to deny already, she cared for Tsubasa and didn’t want her to be in big trouble. In a few days, she had managed to do what no one could for several years before; she almost won Maria over… But was it a bad thing?

“Wake up, Tsubasa.” Maria softly called to the sleeping woman in her arms. She was sorry to do this but it was impossible to open the lock on her door without dropping her precious companion.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but your steps are so calm and soft…” Tsubasa quietly muttered but Maria could hear every single word. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were now. The trees around them were covering her view, making it impossible to identify their location and which part of the city they were in. Yet, the little garden looked nice and snug. In front of them was the two-storey house partly covered by ivy. All of the windows except for one on the second floor were dark at the moment. Uneven light was the sign of a burning candle in that room and the lurking shadows gave away the presence of live beings in there. 

“It’s fine.” Maria slightly frowned, trying to keep a calm and indifferent expression on her face. She carefully put Tsubasa down on her feet. She took a step to the right, moving closer to a small bush and began fumbling with rocks framing its roots. Less than two seconds had passed when she pulled a key out of there. “It’s the back door and I usually don’t take the keys with me. Just in case.” Maria clarified, noticing the confused expression on Tsubasa’s face. She was used to being careful and accidentally losing the key could bring too many unnecessary problems, as well as she would need to wake up her friends in the middle of the night to get home.

As they entered, Maria took a small gas lantern from a wooden rack and lit it. The light illuminated the hall, allowing Tsubasa to examine their surroundings. She shyly stepped in and immediately took her boots off. The carpet on the floor looked too soft and lovely to step on with dirty shoes, not to mention the good manners that dictated for her to respect the house and its owner.

Maria took off her cloak and hung it on the hanger on the wall, then took off her boots as well, pleasantly exhailing as her feet became freed from their leather prison.

“Go to the living room.” Maria gave the lantern to the puzzled Tsubasa, taking the coat from her hands and putting it on a hanger. “It’s right ahead.” She pointed in its direction with the wave of a hand. “I’ll find some food for you.” After these words she disappeared behind one of the multiple doors leaving Tsubasa by herself in the silence.

For a few minutes Tsubasa stayed in the hall hesitantly looking around. It was rather uncomfortable to walk around an unfamiliar house without any guidance. Soon enough, though, she gathered her confidence and walked to the room Maria had pointed out. As she stepped inside, she was surprised at how casual and clean everything was here. A soft leather couch with a wooden coffee table stood across from the fireplace. Some papers were laying on the table near an extinct candle and an inkwell as if someone was writing not long ago. Two armchairs near the window with another table between them looked extremely tempting to sit in and look out at the garden. It appeared someone already gave in to temptation this evening, and left an unfinished bottle of wine and two glasses on the table. The style and atmosphere here wasn’t one Tsubasa was used to, but she felt unexpectedly comfortable here.

Placing the lamp on the coffee table, Tsubasa sat on the couch. Unwillingly, she noticed lists stacked on the table scribbled with names, dates and random remarks. She didn’t know enough people here to understand what it was all about, yet her eyes stopped at a name she had heard before at her first meeting with representatives of The Association. As she was told, this person was in charge of the small operations here and could be considered her superior if she was part of their group.

“I hope this’ll be enough.” Maria entered the room with a plate and cup in her hands, distracting Tsubasa from her thoughts. “Cooking will take too much time.” She placed the dishes on the table in front of Tsubasa and took all of the papers away along with the inkwell, carrying them to another table.

“Thank you. And sorry for the trouble.” Tsubasa gratefully nodded as she glanced at the proposed food. A few sandwiches and a hot tea could hardly be called a good meal, but right now she was happy to see any kind of food. She was lucky her stomach didn’t sing the hungry song out loud right now.

“I’ll need to have a word with these two…” Maria murmured, looking at the wine bottle on the table near the window. She certainly was displeased to find it here. “At least they won’t wake up until noon after another wild night.” She sighed, taking the bottle away. Taught by bitter experience, Maria knew that it was best to not go upstairs for now, otherwise she risked to hear things she didn’t want to hear.

“Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki?” Tsubasa asked, as she finished one of the sandwiches. “Are you sure they won’t be mad to see me here?” Her voice sounded concerned. The two girls had every right to not trust Tsubasa and not want her to be in their house, even if officially it belonged to Maria.

“Don’t point the sword at them and everything ’ll be fine.” Maria smirked. “Not everyone is as understanding as I am.”

Tsubasa almost choked and spit out the tea she was drinking.

“It was a different situation!” She protested louder than she expected. She cleared her throat taking her emotions under control again. “They won’t assault me in a dark alley.”

“In a dark alley – no.” Maria shrugged. She couldn’t promise it wouldn’t happen at all. Pretty often, she had to endure some of their morning assaults herself. “Don’t worry. Better eat and relax.” Maria smiled, noticing some worry in the sentinel’s eyes. Walking closer to the fireplace she knelt and put some wood in. “It’ll be warm here soon.” She said, lighting a fire in the fireplace. The fire hungrily spread across the wood, happily cracking and radiating heat. “I’m going to take a bath and find some spare clothes for you. Make yourself comfortable.” With these words Maria left the room, leaving Tsubasa once again alone.

Finishing the food, Tsubasa couldn’t stop thinking about the names on the list. Did Maria have a list of The Association members? Or did it serve a different purpose? She couldn’t figure it out on her own. She would have to ask Maria when she could find a good moment for it, but they had been too focused on their mission for any kind of questions. The previous meetings with Maria was all so sudden and fleeting, that they could barely talk about anything. These thoughts made Tsubasa sigh, looking into the fire in the fireplace. Many questions and doubts were lurking through her mind at the moment, but she didn’t want to deal with them at all. For once in her life she felt hidden from the world and all of its annoying problems.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable to sit with a weapon on her belt, Tsubasa untied the mount of her katana and placed it near her, leaning it onto the arm of the couch. Her thoughts traveled back to the events of the previous hours. It was so embarrassing to lose control of herself around Maria, even by falling asleep, yet it happened and there was nothing she could do about it now. Her mind was telling her to stay vigilant and professional no matter what the situation was. At the same time, feelings and instincts were whispering that she could trust her new companion. This conflict inside Tsubasa’s head had been going on since the moment they had agreed to work together, and it seemed to be endless. She pressed her head to the back of the couch and took a deep breath. Maybe she should leave right now while she still had the chance. But what if Maria’s assumptions were right? After all, she had dealt with The Association for much longer… All of these spinning thoughts were driving Tsubasa crazy, torturing her tired mind without mercy. While blankly staring at the flame, she completely lost track of time.

“Tsubasa...?” Maria started to worry when Tsubasa didn’t respond to her after several attempts to get her attention. She found Tsubasa entirely immersed, staring into one spot only visible to her and not reacting to anything at all. “Are you feeling bad again?”

Maria’s voice pulled the sentinel out of her world of thoughts. Tsubasa blinked and moved her gaze from the fireplace to Maria. Her mind stayed fully functional only for a swift moment before her brain short circuited at the sight before her indigo eyes. Maria stood near her, slightly bent over. A cotton towel was wrapped around her torso, tightly fitting and showing the alluring curves of her body. She intently looked at Tsubasa, worry reflected in her eyes.

Tsubasa opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out, leaving her with a senselessly moving jaw like fish taken out of the water. Maria reached her hand out and pressed her palm to the sentinel’s forehead, checking for any traces of fever. As she moved forward a stray lock of hair, still wet from her bath, fell to her face.

“I just got lost in my thoughts…” Tsubasa’s voice came out more huskily than ever. She definitely felt some heat rising inside of her, but it wasn’t the result of any sickness. Yes, she knew Maria was stunning, but she couldn’t get used to it, if it was possible to at all. Using full stock of the self-control she had, Tsubasa locked her eyes with Maria’s, refusing to obey the aspiration to look lower to the edge of the towel covering soft mounds.

“Are you sure? You are hotter than a normal person should be.” Maria smirked slyly, with an elegant move of her fingers to remove the lock of hair away from her face and place it behind her ear.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Tsubasa frowned looking away, as her cheeks took a reddish tint. ‘What was Maria trying to imply here? Did she feel something again through touch? Or was she flirting...? No, that’s nonsense!’ Tsubasa mentally argued with herself while she tried to calm her senses and stay rational. “I’m fine.”

“I left spare clothes and a towel for you in the bathroom.” Maria giggled at the reaction and changed the topic of the conversation before poor Tsubasa burned alive from embarrassment. She was aware of the reason for the sentinel’s state and enjoyed it. Teasing Tsubasa and then observing the changes on her face as she tried to stay cool and serious was frankly amusing for Maria. Accidentally overdoing it, though, wasn’t Maria’s intention.

“Thank you.” Tsubasa was ready to take any excuse to leave the room and this one was good enough. She almost jumped up from the couch and headed for the bathroom, forgetting to ask where exactly it was.

“On your left.” Maria said looking at a confused Tsubasa standing in the doorway. Tsubasa quickly nodded and disappeared from sight. Maria smiled and shook her head. Who would think that a determined warrior could be so hopeless sometimes, but by all means, it was part of her charm.

Wanting to change into something more comfortable Maria left the room and returned a few minutes later wearing a long shirt that covered her body all the way to the thighs. She now had in her hands the recent map of the city and the one they found in the catacombs. She already had some ideas about the marks on the map but everything looked more complicated and needed more effort to understand the whole picture. Maria sat on the couch and placed the old map on the table in front of her. The light of the gas lamp was enough to see the main part of it clearly. She then unwrapped the modern map and began to compare the marks with the locations.

Maria always paid attention to the useful information such as news and rumors circulating around the city to keep the track of events. It didn’t take much time to understand that some of the marks were drawn at the houses of people who had recently disappeared. She knew some of the victims’ names. She even had them all listed along with those potentially involved in the business of human trafficking. But all of this wasn’t enough to reveal the whole truth to the masses yet. There had to be more evidence and Maria needed to find it.

Maria sighed, laid her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. There was something she had missed about the whole situation. For the last year there hadn’t been much talk about people disappearing, yet there were so many prisoners today. Were they brought here from somewhere else or were they travelers who got caught here? She cursed in her thoughts for losing the opportunity to interrogate them. However, she couldn’t do it by herself since someone could recognize her. Now, only Tsubasa could find them and ask questions, she had the authority needed to do so. She had already become a problem for The Association and nothing could make it worse. They had to be more careful now. Tsubasa might have the death mark on her back at the next sunrise.

When Tsubasa came back from her bath, she found Maria with her arms crossed over her chest while frowning at the map. “Found anything new?” She asked moving to sit near her companion and look at the piece of paper in Maria’s hands. She was holding a seller’s map. Tsubasa felt more relaxed and comfy now in an oversized shirt and pants lent to her by Maria. Her mind, cleared from time spent in the bath, was ready to deal with more information.

“Some of these signs mark the houses where one or more persons disappeared.” Maria pointed at one of the red marks with her finger and drew an invisible line moving to the next one, and then to another. “But there is no specific system or pattern. At least I can say that the person who owned this map must have been pretty old and knew the city better as how it was nearly a decade ago. Otherwise, it’s too hard to navigate using this map.” Maria pointed at a black mark. “These are placed at the entrances to the catacombs. Here is the place we were today.” She tapped at the mark located in the center of the city. “But I have no clue what the yellow circles stand for.” She sighed and laid the map on her lap.

Tsubasa leaned closer trying to get a better look at the map. Her shoulder brushed with Maria’s but she didn’t even notice it as she was preoccupied by her thoughts. “How long has this human trading existed for?” She asked, keeping her eyes on the city plan.

“I don’t know for sure. Five years. Maybe ten. Or even longer.” Maria shook her head. She could only imagine how long all of this madness had existed. When she first found a hint about such trafficking, she was shocked and decided that it had to be stopped right away. But everything turned out to be well hidden and too organized to cut it off fast, especially for a lone person. “But for half a year there was no abductions.”

“Then the people we saved today must have been imprisoned for that long or no one even cared that they disappeared…” Tsubasa laid her hand on the map and slid her fingers around, looking for what tracing lines could do. Maria tensed, feeling that gentle touch through the paper on her lap. She carefully breathed out and bit her lower lip as the sentinel’s fingers pressed to the sensitive side of her thigh and moved a little further, sending a shudder throughout Maria’s body. The fluttering feeling in her belly, with every stroke, grew into an uninhibited, tantalizing sensation.

Maria didn’t know what she wanted more at the moment: to stop Tsubasa or to remove the paper barrier between her skin and the caress of the sentinel’s fingers. The desire to grab her hand and push Tsubasa’s back into the couch was becoming unbearable. She looked at the sentinel, who clearly didn’t understand what was going on right now and what she was doing to Maria. Again, with this serious expression and ignorance to everything but the job. Her eyes focused on the marks on the map and her thoughts were all about the current problem. Maria wanted to see an entirely different expression on Tsubasa’s face, to see the helpless sentinel beneath her and unable to speak coherently. The image in Maria’s head was so clear and enticing.

“If we knew which of them are the most recent…” Tsubasa rubbed her chin, thinking of a way to use this new information. She had doubts that she could get anything useful from her so called allies in The Association. They didn’t even bring this problem up at their official meeting. The police looked like a dead end as well. “We should just go to these places and talk to people. One of them invited me for dinner.” She said, switching her attention from the map to Maria’s face. “Maria, is something wrong?” Maria’s expression was a bit concerning. The reddish tint on her cheeks was hard to notice in the light of the lamp, yet her half-lidded eyes and slow nibbling of her lower lip were visible.

“Yeah.” Maria managed to keep her voice steady, though it was real miracle. She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Tsubasa with the most serious expression she could make at the moment. “The papers on the top of the fire place. Can you bring them here?”

“Sure.” Tsubasa nodded and, hesitating for a moment, stood up and went closer to the fireplace.

Seizing the opportunity, Maria wrapped the cursed map and threw it on the table as soon as the sentinel turned away. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and refocus her attention while keeping her turquoise eyes on Tsubasa.

“There are names of all of the people involved in human trafficking one way or another.” Maria explained the meaning behind the names listed there, breaking the awkward silence. “We can try to match some of them with marks on the map.”

“I think we should continue later.” Tsubasa said, holding the papers out to Maria. “We both need some rest.” Her eyes carefully studied Maria’s face, searching for a clue to what the woman was thinking right now versus what she was a minute ago. For sure she was tired as well, the night was long and full of events. That was the only explanation Tsubasa could come up with.

“Yeah. I can’t argue with that.” Maria agreed with relief, taking the papers from Tsubasa’s hands and placing them onto the table. “I used to plunge into investigation every time I found a new piece of this dark puzzle. But you are right, we can continue later.” She arose from the couch and looked at the window. Dawn would come soon. “You can take the guest room. Let’s go, I’ll lead you there.” 

Tsubasa grabbed her katana and quickly followed Maria, catching up with her in the hall. The guest room was on the second floor along with all of the other bedrooms. They walked in silence, not wanting to wake up Shirabe and Kirika. Only the muffled sound of steps accompanied them to the room. Not much time had passed when they stopped near a closed door. Maria laid a hand on the handle and opened the door, stepping aside to let Tsubasa in. The room was small and simple, but had everything a person could need for a short stay as a guest here.

“Make yourself at home.” Maria said keeping her voice as low as possible. “If you need something, my room is across the hall.” She pointed towards the door opposite from them. “Have nice dreams, Tsubasa.” Maria smiled wearily.

“Good night, Maria. Thank you for everything.” Gratefully answered Tsubasa, smiling back. 

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The sunlight snuck thought a slit in the curtains and mercilessly woke Tsubasa up. She blinked several times, replaying the memories of last night and remembering where she was. The rustle of the leaves outside the window was the only sound she could hear. Had she woken up first? She sat up on the bed, yawning and stretching her arms above her head. All traces of the sickness from yesterday had disappeared. For the first time in a few days she had slept well and now felt rested and full of energy. It had always been hard to sleep at a new and unfamiliar place, but for some reason at this house she felt safe and relaxed. Maybe because everyone here wasn’t a potential enemy for her, or at least she didn’t see them as such. Following the habit of taking her sword everywhere with her, Tsubasa grabbed her katana and quietly snuck out of the room, closing the door behind her. The smell of fresh pancakes caught her attention as she walked closer to the stairs. She certainly wasn’t the only one awake.

Tsubasa roamed around the house, looking for someone. First, she went to the kitchen, but didn’t find anyone there, yet discovered the source of the blissful smell. Still-warm pancakes were placed on a big plate in the middle of the table along with a raspberry jam and a kettle of a freshly brewed tea. After weighing the pros and cons, she sat and began to eat the tasty treat while it was still warm. Whoever made this breakfast was good at cooking and undoubtedly knew some sort of special recipe. Tsubasa happily hummed at the pleasant taste as she took a bite of the first pancake She could get used to spending her mornings like that if it wasn't all about duty and the cruel world around all the time, though it still missed something in order to be called perfect.

After filling a mug with a hot tea, Tsubasa walked out of the kitchen and headed to the living room. She started to doubt that there was anyone at home right now; everything was too quiet and calm. As she stepped into the living room, she spotted Maria in an armchair near the window. A glass full of red liquid was gripped in her left hand as she gazed out the window, but it was as if her eyes focused on nothing, all the while Maria thoughtfully hummed a soft melody. Her posture revealed a noble and prideful creature, emphasized by she simple white satin shirt and black tight fitting trousers.

“Good morning, Tsubasa.” Maria said calmly and impassively, not turning to look at the sentinel. Her thoughts were elsewhere, far away from the present moment. The appearance of Tsubasa made her almost noticeably shiver.

“Morning.” Tsubasa answered, a bit bewildered. Something was wrong here, but she couldn’t say what. She was already used to seeing Maria more or less in a good mood. What could cause such a sudden change? Did something happen while she was sleeping?

“Shirabe and Kirika went for a walk. Soon we'll know the current situation in the city and what kind of the rumors are spreading after last night events.” Maria said, still not looking at Tsubasa. “Old ladies at the city market love them, and always willingly tell everything they’ve heard to anyone who’ll listen.” She raised the glass to her lips, taking a short sip. “You can’t leave until they return and we hear them out. Go have breakfast for now.” Her voice sounded unbelievably cold.

“I already did. The pancakes were perfect.” Tsubasa said, smiling at the memory of the sweet taste as she moved closer to the pensive woman. “What’s wrong, Maria?” She asked concerned, standing next to her companion.

Maria shook her head, still refusing to look at Tsubasa. “Today is Serena’s, my sister’s, birthday. And I can’t even go to her.” She took another sip of wine from her glass. She wasn’t able to get drunk for long time now, but the taste was distracting.

“But why? You walked around easily a few days ago.” Tsubasa couldn’t understand why on such personal and important day, Maria was just sitting here.

“Not like that.” Maria’s voice held a tint of anger but it wasn’t aimed at Tsubasa. She finally looked up at the sentinel.

Tsubasa’s eyes widened as she locked her gaze with Maria's, but her eyes were not turquoise as she had expected to see. Mesmerizing crimson eyes looked at her, both immobilizing the sentinel and fascinating her at the same time. It was the blood thirst. Tsubasa had seen such eyes before, but never considered them to be beautiful until today. Usually they were full of raw hunger and anger, but in Maria’s eyes, she only saw uninhibited yearning and hidden suffering. Was it a mourning about her late sister or the tantalizing need for blood? Tsubasa couldn’t find the courage to ask it out loud.

“Tell me about her?” Tsubasa asked as she sat in another armchair across from Maria. “Or about your family?” She wanted to know more about Maria and maybe this talk could ease the pain or distract her somehow.

“Right…I forgot to thank you for the flowers yesterday.” Maria sighed. In the stream of events she lost the right moment to bring it up, but this gesture from Tsubasa was unexpected and touching. “It means a lot to me.”

“We should respect death as much as we care about life.” Tsubasa answered. “They are your family and I had to show respect somehow.”

“Thank you.” Maria looked away again, taking a deep breath. “We always were a happy family. My father was a retired military officer. He was always devoted to the family and loved my mother with the purest love I’d ever seen. But it was hard not to love her. She was a kind and beautiful woman.” Maria paused, thoughtfully rubbing her finger on the glass. She didn’t expect how difficult it would be to find the right words to describe her beloved family. “And Serena… She had the most charming smile. She always was a gentle and kind girl. Whenever I had a bad mood or was in any kind of trouble, she could make me forget about everything by smiling and singing…As her older sister I had to support her, but in reality, it was her that always supported me…” Maria smiled sadly and fell silent, unable to say anything else. Memories flashed through her mind, drawing her into the past. “That night when I came back to my senses, I couldn’t believe I was alive. It was as if the pieces of a shattered dreamland surrounded me. A living nightmare. When I found Serena she was still alive, but by then there was nothing I could do for her…Yet, she smiled in the face of death and said she was happy that I was alive…That is the only reason I keep moving forward.” Five years passed but Maria could see the last smile of her sister in front of her eyes like it happened yesterday. Talking about it was hard and she didn’t narrate the details even to Kirika and Shirabe, but with Tsubasa it seemed a little easier. Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe she just felt comfortable enough around her.

“I’m sorry…” Tsubasa hesitantly raised her hand, wanting to take Maria’s hand into her own to comfort her, but she laid it back on her lap and clenched her fist. The tight feeling mercilessly squeezed at her chest. It was downright agonizing for her to see Maria like that. The pain reflected in her now crimson eyes and in her quiet voice was unbearable. Tsubasa wanted to ease her pain somehow, but couldn’t find the courage to even do a small, supportive action.

“It’s fine. You deserve to know.” Maria shook her head, placing the empty glass on the table. The burning sensation in her throat was slowly growing and she needed to distract her mind. She had to withstand it until the night. “I assume you have a lot of questions. So do I. Go ahead, ask away. But in return, you’ll answer mine.” Since they were stuck indoors for the day, they had enough time to discuss anything they wanted to. It was a good opportunity to discover a little more about each other.

“Alright.” Tsubasa agreed to the simple rules easily. “Then it’s your turn.” She was ready to keep this conversation for as long as needed if it could help Maria. At least she hoped it might help.

“Why did you became a hunter… a sentinel?” Maria propped her elbow onto the arm of her chair and rested her chin in her palm. She was curious why Tsubasa had chosen that path.

“My grandfather, Kazanari Fudo, chose me as his successor. There was no other path for me from the day I was born.” Her tone was even and almost emotionless. “I was trained to be worthy of the Kazanari name, but never was even close to it. No matter what I do, I’m never good enough to reach the expectations of my grandfather.” Tsubasa’s expression darkened at the thoughts of Fudo. “But it gave me the skills to protect people. And I’ll do whatever it takes to do so.” That was what she told herself every day, forcing herself to believe it as an absolute truth, ignoring any other feelings or aspirations.

“You should think about yourself too.” Maria stated, peering into Tsubasa’s expression. In this devotion to the illusive ideals it was easy to lose herself and it concerned Maria. “Your turn now.” She waved the fingers of her free hand, announcing the switch of turns in their small game.

“How does it feel when you are blood thirsty?” Tsubasa asked carefully. Maria looked tired and annoyed. She wanted to believe it wasn’t due to her company, but then again, the other woman felt something unpleasant right now.

“Like I swallowed a hedgehog and it got stuck in my throat.” Maria laughed dryly. The attempt at a joke was close to failing miserably but Tsubasa smiled in return. “It’s not all that bad. At first, my mind plays tricks on me, imagining how pleasant it would be to sink my fangs in soft flesh.” Maria’s mouth felt very dry at the thought of blood, making her swallow hard. “Like a predator I feel the urge to catch a prey and to feel its fear and struggling. And with a human around it’s getting harder to control my thoughts.” She smirked, looking at Tsubasa with a hungry glint in her crimson eyes. “You look very tempting.” Maria licked her fangs, observing Tsubasa’s reaction. She was amused to see how a shiver run slipped through the sentinel’s body, though it didn’t look like fear. Suddenly Tsubasa’s cheeks flushed red and she sheepishly looked away. “In a day it’ll become an uncontrollable frenzy. But I know my limits.”

Tsubasa stayed quiet, squeezing the edge of her shirt. Her mind needed time to process such information.

“Do you still want to kill me?” Maria asked casually, as if it was a question about the weather or her favorite color.

Maria’s words hit Tsubasa like a bucket of cold water, dragging her out of her weird thoughts. “No.” She hardly managed to say it with a steady tone. “Yes, my duty is to…but…” She panicked not knowing how to say it quite right. This was the issue that bothered her from the start of their cooperation. With each moment spent around Maria she questioned herself and her sense of duty. The foundation of her world itself cracked little by little, leaving her with the understanding that reality was more versatile than she used to believe. What was the right thing to do? “I don’t…” She admitted, lowering her head in defeat. “And I won’t be able to raise my sword against you again...” She quietly added, as realization hit her. She felt something for Maria and this feeling objected to the idea of mortal fighting between them.

A silence hung in the air. Neither of them wanted to break it first.

From her place Maria could hear how fast Tsubasa’s heart was thrumming at the moment, as did her own. Warmth flooded into her chest at the meaning of the sentinel’s words, but she couldn’t find any words to answer. All possible doubts that Tsubasa might feel uncomfortable around her, or still secretly wanted to kill her, were washed away from Maria’s mind. She could genuinely enjoy the moment if the tremble deep inside of her being disappeared at once as well.

They kept quiet for what seemed like long lasting minutes before the main door opened with a slam and cheerful laughter filled the house. Kirika and Shirabe returned in high spirits and good moods. They enjoyed the early work and were happy to find out a lot of new things. The mood of the whole city had turned upside down, filling the hearts of the citizens with hope and faith for better times to come, however, not everything was so smooth.

“You are famous now, Tsubasa-san!” Kirika exclaimed, bounding to the living room and greeting Maria and Tsubasa with a wave of her hand. “The talks were only about the return of long lost people and the foreign woman who made it possible.” She flopped onto the couch and crossed her legs beneath her. “All of the old ladies at the market are dying to meet you and bestow you with some goodies.” She laughed loudly.

“But we also met a suspicious man who was asking about Tsubasa-san and if someone had seen her today.” Shirabe was much more calm than her partner and a little concerned about the situation. “And police are interrogating the people you saved. It turned out to be frankly hectic in some cases… Some of the families hadn’t expected the return of their lost relatives. Or I guess you could say it’s more like they didn’t want them to return.” Shirabe sat next to Kirika on the couch and looked at the pair near the window. Maria’s piercing gaze traveled from one woman to another, analyzing them.

“Didn’t want them to return?” Tsubasa was shocked to hear this. It was unbelievable. “But why? Were they not among those that suddenly disappeared?”

“Maybe they thought it was the result of betrayal and that their loved ones ran away with a new passion.” Maria shrugged. Despite the wildness and inappropriateness of this idea, it might be true. “But they have a chance to solve it while both sides are still alive.” She sighed and looked through the window. “What was it about a suspicious man?” The presence of two more persons in the room made the tension rise, burning her throat like a boiling oil.

“Oh, he was dressed all fancy. Every piece of clothing looked like it was straight from the store.” Kirika answered, preparing to jump up from the couch. She wanted to move closer to Maria to explain everything in more detail, but Shirabe caught her by the hand while shaking her head to stop her. No words were needed, Kirika understood right away what her partner meant. They both knew how Maria felt and didn’t want to make her hunger worse by getting too close. “He was friendly while smiling at everyone and asking about Tsubasa-san throughout the main square crowd.” Everyone looked at Tsubasa, who was now frowning.

“Association members wouldn’t look for me so openly….” Tsubasa crossed her arms across her chest, trying to remember any familiar men she had met here who would be so desperate to find her. Could it be the man from the other night?

“If even some creepy guys are looking for you out in the open, then everyone who stays behind the scenes are doing the same.” Cross and annoyed notes were evident in Maria’s voice. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at Tsubasa. “You should stay here for now. At least until tonight, so you can sneak out of here unnoticed. And we’ll need to discuss our next move as well.” She couldn’t let Tsubasa walk out of her house during day time when anyone and everyone could see it. It would look too sudden, and considering the circumstances, significantly suspicious. She didn’t need too much attention directed at her and the girls, as it could restrain all of her movements and ruin way too many plans. “I’ll be upstairs. I’d like to be left alone for now.” All of the sudden Maria stood up from the armchair to make a quick exit. She could no longer stay around her friends in her current state without holding her breath. She left the room fast enough that no one would have the chance to say a word.

“She should stop doing it…” Kirika sighed, swaying her body from side to side. She sadly glanced at the doorway and then groaned. “Why is she so stubborn?”

“Kiri-chan, it’s her choice to make.” Shirabe laid her hand on the other girl’s knee and gently patted it.

“But she is torturing herself!” Kirika objected, taking Shirabe’s hand and seeking comfort in the warmth of her palm.

For both of them it was unbearably hard to see their dear friend in this state. And not just a friend, Maria had become family to them. Her pain reflected in their souls at the same depth. They were ready to do anything to ease it for Maria, but she refused all of their offerings. Even the idea of hurting them pierced her heart.

“How often does she bring herself to this state?” Tsubasa came closer to the girls, tightly squeezing the katana in her left hand to ground herself and not let emotions take over. Did Maria do that on purpose? Hearing what Kirika and Shirabe were discussing woke up a strange anger inside of her.

“Every time she keeps holding back to the limit. But by doing this, she is more likely to get caught by it in the middle of the day, like today. Now, she’ll stay locked in her room ‘til sunset.” Shirabe explained quietly and leaned into Kirika, wrapping her arms around the girl’s waist.

Tsubasa gritted her teeth and headed to the stairs, immersed in her thought and simmering mix of emotions. She stopped near the door to Maria’s room and pressed her hand to the cool wood, trying to feel through the solid surface exactly what was happening inside. But she wasn’t a seer. She took one deep breath, and then another, seeking the courage to knock. Was Maria suffering inside all alone?

Maria buried her face into the pillow right away as she flopped on the bed. The cool cotton felt so nice on her skin. Strength, mind, faith and will all meant nothing when it came to the thirst. Drinking the blood of random strangers was one thing, but looking into the eyes of close friends after drinking their blood was completely another. She didn’t want anyone to see her in this state for long.

Maria accepted her nature, but she couldn't stand the idea of showing it in full colors to her friends. The fear to hurt them, to scare them away, tortured her even more than this tantalizing, almost agonizing desire. She groaned into the pillow as her ears caught the sound of unsure steps near her door. She expected a knock or anything else, but all stayed quiet. She raised her head, ready to ask whoever it was to leave her alone, but the scent of Tsubasa touched her nose, leaving her feeling surprised and confused. Why was the sentinel here? And why she was just standing near the door in silence? Getting out of the bed, Maria stepped closer to the door, not sure what she was going to do next. With a quiet sigh she pressed her forehead to the wood and closed her eyes. Was it some kind of joke? Or again, was Tsubasa too concentrated on something to understand what exactly she was doing? ‘I’m imagining things’ She silently laughed at her thoughts. Why would Tsubasa come here after she asked for them to leave her alone. Instantly Maria’s eyes opened wide. Did she want Tsubasa to come to her?

“Maria.” An uncertain voice called from behind the door. “Can I come in?” Tsubasa asked calmly, but inside all of her nerves were trembling with anxiety.

Pressing her hand to the handle, Maria opened the door without saying a word. Her eyes met with indigo ones immediately as the barrier between them disappeared. The sorrow in these eyes almost stopped Maria’s heart for a fleeting moment. Casting all thoughts away she stepped aside to let the sentinel come in. For some reason she couldn’t tell her to go away and didn’t really want her to leave, not immediately at least.

“Why didn’t you tell me the whole truth?” Tsubasa asked, scowling and standing in the middle of the room with her back turned to Maria. “You tried to joke, but you are suffering.” The question she asked Maria before wasn't given a precise answer to and it was irritating. Why didn’t Maria say the whole truth? Tsubasa chose to believe her words that everything wasn’t so bad, but one look at Shirabe and Kirika proved how wrong she was.

“It’s really fine.” Maria answered exhaustedly, closing the door. “And weren’t you the one going into battle with a fever?” In fact, Tsubasa wasn’t in any position to tell her such things. Her choice to ignore her state could cost them both their lives, but Maria closed her eyes to it.

“It’s different.” Tsubasa struggled to hold her voice from getting louder. “I couldn’t change it and had a duty to fulfill. But you do this willingly. Why?”

“I won’t hurt more people than I need to.” Maria crossed her arms across her chest. She wasn’t in the mood or state to argue.

“But if you lose control, you can attack Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi in a frenzy.” Tsubasa turned around, determination burning in her eyes.

Maria could say that the sentinel came to a decision, as Tsubasa’s fingers tightly wrapped around her katana. “Are you going to kill me now?” Maria dryly laughed. That was the common thing to expect. It was right to fear her.

“Drink my blood.” Tsubasa’s words were absolutely unexpected. But her expression showed how serious she was with this statement. If that was the only way to stop Maria’s suffering, then she was ready to force her. “Should I help you?” She partially drew her sword from its sheath, preparing to cut her palm with its sharp blade.

As Tsubasa’s skin barely touched the cold steel, Maria shortened the distance between them in a swift elusive motion, claiming Tsubasa’s hand and making her drop the weapon. “I’m not a pet for you to hand feed.” Her pride was wounded. She growled through gritted teeth, locking her crimson eyes with indigo ones.

“Then do it properly.” Tsubasa held her gaze without fear and didn’t try to step back or free her arm. “I’m willingly offering you my blood. Or do you prefer strangers after all?” At this idea a tight feeling appeared in the sentinel’s chest.

Standing so close and feeling the quick pulse under her fingers overwhelmed Maria. Raw need mixed with a simmering desire left her unable to say a word. She pulled Tsubasa close to her and tightly held her hand. The scent of blood from a small cut on the sentinel’s skin made her gulp with tantalizing anticipation. She lowered her head, almost touching the sensitive skin of Tsubasa’s neck with her nose. Breathing in the intoxicating scent and feeling the warmth of other woman’s body was driving her crazy.

Tsubasa slightly tilted her head, giving Maria the full access. She closed her eyes, feeling uneven breaths on her skin. Her heart thrummed in her chest, fast and loud enough so she could hear it too. Yet she wanted to feel Maria’s lips on her neck and willed herself to accept the pain that would follow. Logic was screaming at her how wrong all of this was, but as soon as her chest pressed to Maria’s soft forms, Tsubasa entirely gave up on rational thinking. What was it that made her do this in the first place?

Succumbing to natural desire, Maria opened her mouth, but as her lower lip touched silky skin, she froze in hesitation. There was no way to turn back now. Part of her wanted Tsubasa to flee before she had a chance, but little by little her mind was going blank. Then she felt the tender touch of Tsubasa’s fingers on the back of her head, pushing her to close the distance. Unable to resist any further she immersed her fangs into the soft flesh.

Indigo eyes tightly closed as a sharp pain streamed through Tsubasa’s body from the source on her neck. She gasped in surprise, when Maria’s firm hand rested at the small of her back and pressed her closer. Her fingers carefully sunk in Maria’s hair, gently moving in small circles. Tsubasa’s body relaxed in Maria’s embrace and little by little the pain was replaced with another languid feeling. A trembling in the lower part of her belly began to grow into needy throbbing. She barely managed to hold back a quiet moan, as she felt a warm tongue flicker over her skin. In the end, it came out as intermittent hard breathing and a muffled guttural sound.

The tremble beneath her lips sent a shiver down Maria’s spine. Maria felt the billowing of Tsubasa's chest from each of her breaths and it only fueled her desire. Her fingers snuck under the fabric of the sentinel’s shirt, roaming over the delicate curves found there. The grip on the sentinel’s wrist weakened and Maria’s fingers gingerly slid down her palm and intertwined with Tsubasa’s. The taste of her blood was incomparable to anything Maria had tasted before, but with the growing passion she couldn’t think this way.

Quenched her blood thirst for the time being, Maria reluctantly moved her mouth away, licking the remaining trace of the life essence off Tsubasa’s neck. She raised her gaze and met darkened indigo eyes, looking at her with a pure vehemence. Then her eyes traveled down to slightly parted sensual lips.

Tsubasa carefully peered into Maria’s eyes, as they began to change back into the lovely turquoise she had come to know, making her smile weakly. She removed her hand from the coral hair and touched Maria’s cheek, tenderly brushing a red line from the corner of her lips.

"This color suits you more, Maria..." An uninhibited whisper escaped Tsubasa's lips as looked at her through half-lidded eyes. Overwhelmed by the wave of emotions and thoughts, she wearily buried her face into the curve of Maria's neck. A feeling of satisfaction filled her chest, but the languid tension in her belly remained unfulfilled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To be rational or follow feelings? If only there were less distractions..."

It was a late evening when Tsubasa decided to go out for a walk to clear her head. There were not many people outside at this time and she could wander around in peace without being disturbed. Lately, it had become impossible to stay outside during the day. Every time Tsubasa appeared on the streets citizens would try and talk to her. Their reasons were always different, ranging anywhere between praise and admiration to blatantly asking for a date. Tsubasa couldn’t imagine that the rumors and her name would be spread this fast. Maybe if she hadn’t given her name to that saved man the other night, things would be different. But she couldn’t change things so now it didn’t matter. 

Tsubasa buried her nose into the peach pink scarf around her neck while she walked down the street. The familiar scent of roses caused her mind to drift to the moment when Maria had wrapped the soft piece of clothing around her neck and told her to not take it off while she was outside. It was supposed to be used to hide the bite mark on her neck from the curious eyes of strangers on her way home, but Tsubasa kept wearing it continuously after that. Almost two days had passed since she left Maria’s house. After that, she didn’t meet the coral haired woman for even a brief moment. Was what happened between them the reason for that?

Tsubasa could hardly recall everything that took place in Maria’s room. She found herself clinging to Maria when she came back to her senses and had felt protective arms wrapped around her. They stayed silent for more than five minutes before letting each other go. Then Maria disappeared for few hours for a known reason, but even after her return, neither one of them could find the words or courage to bring it up and discuss. The rest of the day passed by with awkward situations and short, senseless conversations, as if both women were trying to act like nothing had happened. They were lucky that Kirika and Shirabe had left again to enjoy the day outside since the weather was perfect, so no one else was around to make the situation worse with teasing or unsolicited advice.

Tsubasa asked herself many times over, why the action that was supposed to be just simple and painful in practice had felt so intimate and pleasurable. Was this what everyone felt while being bitten by a vampire or was there something wrong with her? She placed her hand on the scarf, over the mark, remembering the gentle touch of Maria’s lips and hot tongue against her skin. She wanted to feel it again. Tsubasa had recovered fast enough and even the little puncture wounds had nearly disappeared from her skin. She could easily give Maria more blood if she would ask for it. Taking a deep breath, she greedily took in more of the precious scent from the scarf but then immediately shook her head. It was such a stupid idea. More than that, it was just an emergency solution this one time. The next time when Maria needed to satisfy her hunger, she would have to find some random person again, Tsubasa’s heart froze at the thought, making her slow down her steps until she completely stopped. A quiet groan escaped her throat. She needed something to distract her mind right now. 

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At the same time in another part of the city Maria threw a pen on the table annoyed. She tried to occupy her mind with something useful for several days in a row, but yet her thoughts about Tsubasa kept distracting her. That stubborn woman forced her to do what she didn’t want to and she was actually mad at her for doing that. Maria was ready for Tsubasa’s regretful reaction afterwards, and braced herself for the worst outcome… but in the end she saw her weak but gentle smile. Maria placed her hand on her chest and slightly squeezed the fabric of her shirt at the memory. She thought she had lost the ability to feel such deep emotions long ago. Yes, she felt comfortable and happy with her friends Shirabe and Kirika around, but somehow Tsubasa touched the strings of her soul she assumed had violently been torn apart. Maria placed her hands on the table and laid her head on them, sighing. She had to make Tsubasa stay here. It would be safer and less torturous for her. The idea of Tsubasa being in danger right at this moment was unbearable, but she couldn’t follow the sentinel everywhere nor force her to stay hidden. There was only one thing Maria could do at the moment.

Full of determination Maria left the room, slamming the door behind her. She stormed through the house to the back door and took her cloak from the hanger. The fabric soothingly rustled as she threw the piece of cloth over her shoulders. Maria couldn’t just sit and wait to see what would happen, she had to act as well and try to predict or even prevent the possible events to come., and Maria was going to meet her.

Maria had met this woman several times as a teen at the family house, yet had never spoken to her. The woman and Maria’s father were always discussing some important business behind closed doors and no one else was allowed to join them. After the death of Maria’s family, the woman suddenly contacted her. She introduced herself as Nastassja Sergeevna and said she was a close friend of Maria’s father from the days of his military service. She offered her support and promised to reveal some very interesting information about the tragic events at Eve mansion.

Jaded and exhausted by speculation and rumors, Maria agreed to meet her right away. Seizing any possibility to find out more about the murderers was worth any trouble or danger. And it turned out to be a success. Nastassja was the one who told Maria about the world hidden from everyone’s eyes: The Association and their schemes. Having once worked for them as researcher, she knew a lot about their dark secrets and methods. Of course, such a frank confession was rather suspicious and the woman had her own reasons for this kind of cooperation, but Maria had no other clue or ally to rely on at the moment. With time, she had begun to trust Nastassja more than anyone.

As she reached the right house, Maria snuck to the closest alley looking for a way to climb up. She used to get inside Nastassja’s house through the window on the second floor. There were many reasons for it, but most importantly - it was safer than the front door. Using the wooden crates left behind by negligent shop workers as a prop, she easily reached the window she needed.

“You should stop doing that.” A calm but severe voice caught Maria’s attention as she stepped down to the floor from the windowsill. A match flashed and then candlelight filled the room. “I knew you would come.” A woman in a wheelchair glanced at Maria with her only eye, the other one covered by an eyepatch.

Nastassja didn’t betray or run from the Association, she knew better than to do that, but she had retired and was sent away after an accident in one of their facilities. The woman lost her eye and the ability to walk, but these were the only visible signs of the damage done to her body. Yet. despite her inabilities, Nastassja kept the appearance of strong and prideful woman. “You were there too, weren’t you?” She placed the candle on a nearby chest of drawers and ran her hand through her hair.

“Yes.” Maria replied shortly. Of course Nastassja had already heard the extra news, the whole city was talking about it, and she could easily make the right conclusions with her sharp mind. “Now I need some advice. What can they do next?”

“It was a stupid move.” Nastassja’s voice held a note of anger and disappointment. “And you perfectly know what’ll happen next.” Maria pressed her lips in a thin line and stayed silent. “The people you saved will be dealt with. And that Kazanari girl will be as well.”

“But they’ll create even more trouble if they kill her.” Maria objected, scarcely hiding her deep concern and worry. “If all I hear about the Kazanari is truth, then they won’t let it go so easily. Especially with the…” Maria was going to say the heir but stopped herself, it would be careless to tell such things even to Nastassja. She knew the woman would understand how close she had become with Tsubasa and wouldn’t be too surprised about it. “…their representative…” She tried to make it sound as casual as possible, but the raised eyebrow from Nastassja showed it didn’t work.

“They won’t. But if she’ll die an easy death with a person to blame for it…” She peered in Maria’s face, examining the mix of emotions playing over the younger woman’s features. “A crazy fanatic on the street or some accident with a carriage.” She tapped her finger on the wheel of her wheelchair. “But I assume she is a trained warrior. That makes it difficult. Maybe poison? But it’s too complicated…” She tilted her head back, calculating some other possibilities.

“Poison?” Maria groaned, the desire to hit something appeared in her mind. It was getting too annoying and irritating. How was she supposed to help Tsubasa if now everything could be a death trap? Walk as her shadow everywhere? Taste all her food? And she was the one to blame for putting the sentinel into such a position. If she had cared a bit more from the start and wasn’t ready to use Tsubasa so recklessly… But maybe she couldn’t really prevent it from the beginning. Despite everything, it could end like that anyway. Maria walked from one wall to another, measuring the room with her steps, spinning her mind around the same thoughts. It was supposed to calm her nerves but in reality only little by little raised the tension in the room.

“You should lay low for now, Maria.” Nastassja looked at Maria seriously. Her strict tone clearly showed she wouldn’t tolerate any arguing.

“But…!” Maria instantly stopped and looked at the woman with a threatening fire in her turquoise eyes. She was ready to retort, but the older woman stopped her by raising her hand up.

“Maria. Don’t let your emotions take over you. You know I care about you as if you were my own daughter.” Nastassja closed her eye and ruefully sighed. “I won’t silently watch how you are putting everything on the line because of some girl.” She couldn’t know exactly what was happening between Maria and a foreign troublemaker, but there was certainly something deeper than a brief acquaintance. Before all of this she had never seen the usually calm and rational Maria flounce like a caged wild beast looking for an escape.

“I’m sorry.” Maria moved closer to the woman and knelt down before her, taking Nastassja’s hand in hers. “I know you care and I’m grateful for it” She sadly smiled, looking up at Nastassja’s calm and tired face. For Maria she became like a second mother, a strict and harsh one but yet so kind and caring. Without her, Maria would be lost in sorrow and ignorant to the truth up until now, and who knows what could happen to her without any goals in her life. Nastassja knew a lot. It was rather a miracle that they let her live on her own, but who would see a threat in the crippled woman. Yet, she found a way to use that knowledge against the people she despised for their actions. She had her own reasons to insert some sticks into their wheels. Many people working for the Association sooner or later would realize the true nature of this organization, how deep their hands were immersed in the blood of innocent people, and how many lives they had ruined. However, not many of them were ready to rebel openly and the ones who did, now didn’t exist in this world. To fight a force as immense as the Association it required a great plan, or even a superior advantage, but no one was even close to it.

“Your father aspired to stand against the Association openly and it cost him everything…I warned him.” Nastassja dolefully looked in Maria’s eyes. “I don’t want to see you die in this fight as well. If you want to continue it, do it with a cool head.”

“I will…” Maria answered quietly, slightly lowering her head. She couldn’t argue with Nastassja for long.

“Good…” Nastassja raised her hand to stroke Maria’s hair, but a sudden coughing fit forced her to cringe and cover her mouth. Maria’s eyes widened in horror as she caught the woman’s shoulders right away, preventing her from collapsing.

“It is getting worse, isn’t it?” Maria asked, looking as Nastassja took her hand away from the mouth. She tightly gritted her teeth as she saw the blood on the woman’s palm. Her condition was rapidly getting worse and there wasn’t anything to slow it down.

“It is.” Weakly said Nastassja, retaking a straight position in her chair.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.” Maria said calmly, not wanting to make things harder for herself by feeling with worry or pity. She placed her hands on the wheelchair grips and carefully took the woman to the bedroom.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desperately looking for a distraction, Tsubasa chose to visit the saved man who had asked her to come over for a dinner from all of her possible options. This had to happen one day, after all she decided to talk with all of the ex-prisoners and ask a few questions, but now she could kill two birds with one stone. The address the man gave her was pretty far from Tsubasa’s apartments, but her walk with a lost-in-thoughts-about-Maria mind brought her relatively close to the said house. Passing down the street, she quickly found a nameplate placed on a wall with the correct building number. Hesitantly standing before the door, Tsubasa once again questioned herself if it was a good idea or not. In the end, she reached out her hand and confidently knocked on the door, trying to do it loud enough but not make it sound too hostile at the same time. The voice behind the wooden barrier indicated that her action didn’t stay unnoticed. She heard steps moving closer and then the door opened.

“Oh... Ms. Kazanari.” The familiar male face appeared before Tsubasa. Surprised and nervous, the man forced a friendly smile. He was wearing a homey robe, light cotton pants and pair of fluffy slippers. His appearance wasn’t one for meeting a guest, he had been caught off guard by the sentinel. “Such a pleasant surprise. Please, come in.” He stepped aside, inviting Tsubasa inside with a gesture of his hand.

“Sorry for the late visit.” Tsubasa didn’t remember if he introduced himself nor did she care about it, after all, this was supposed to be their second and last meeting. She politely bowed her head and stepped over the threshold. She screwed up her eyes, as the bright light inside the house almost blinded her. As her eyes adapted to the light again, she looked around, noticing that the man couldn’t be a common person. The fancy paintings on the walls were a sign of a prosperous owner as well as the gilded chandelier and high pile carpet.

“I’m sorry, we already had dinner, but maybe you would like some tea?” The man closed the door and faced Tsubasa, waiting for her answer.

“There is no need to.” She raised her palm in a rejecting gesture and shook her head. She didn’t really plan to spend more time here than was necessary and didn't appreciate the useless chatter at all. She had to get right to the point. “I only need to ask you a few questions.”

The man visibly relaxed at her words and carefully breathed out. “Of course. But I already told everything to the police. I never thought that slavery still existed, but they reassured me that they have caught the leaders of that criminal group. You apparently found us ahead of them.”

Tsubasa’s eyebrows abruptly lowered down as she frowned. Yes, she expected that no one would be aware of the truth, but this explanation was believable and for certain it was accurately prepared in advance as a cover. It wasn’t a big surprise though, the police were working for the Association and made sure no specific rumors would be spread around.

“Don’t think anything of it. I’m still grateful for the saving.” Noticing the expression on Tsubasa’s face the man instantly tried to smooth things a little. “Every hour spent in those cold dungeons was an unbearable type of torture. And getting out of there even a minute earlier was a great blessing.”

“Do you remember how they kidnapped you?” Tsubasa calmly asked, keeping her expression serious. Every little thing could be a clue to how people could get in the hands of the traders so easily.

“I worked late at the office one night a few weeks ago.” The man rubbed his neck nervously, subconsciously betraying his bad lie. It didn’t stay unnoticed and Tsubasa crossed her hands over her chest, slightly tilting her head to the side. “Fine. Fine. I went to a pub for a drink and met some woman there…Beautiful one.” He almost whispered, afraid for anyone in his family to overhear them. “And she suggested to me to go with her for a… You know… To get some special drink from her personal collection.” He meaningfully raised both eyebrows, waving his hands in the air. “But we didn’t get there. Suddenly I felt dizzy, overdid it with a drink in the pub. I think.” He sighed sadly. “The woman helped me get to the closest bench and called for help. Then I lost consciousness. I opened my eyes only in the cell with many other people around. I couldn’t see much in a dim light of few lamps on the wall behind a lattice.”

“Did you notice anything specific there? Maybe some special signs of the people who held you there?” Tsubasa kept the interrogation, mentally taking the notes about the pub and the woman. Could she be involved? Abrupt dizziness after a drink could be explained simply– someone had spiked the alcohol with drugs. But then there would have had to be a larger group to take the unconscious man away under the pretense of help, but it was obvious that the scheme was planned out accurately.

“Nope.” He lazily shrugged. “All of them were wearing creepy masks and hoods. Maybe it is some kind of cult?” The man’s eyes widened at the idea. “I could’ve been sacrificed to summon a demon!” He exclaimed in shock.

Tsubasa rolled her eyes at this question. She didn’t know what to say to it. If legends of demons were true as well, then they could have much more problems, but gladly nothing like that had ever happened in history. “And was it the same when they led you out too?” She kept the serious expression, breathing smoothly and evenly.

“We were always blindfolded.” He grunted in displeasure, as if Tsubasa asked the stupidest thing in the world. “But why do you ask all that of me?” Tired of the curious woman’s presence and her questions, he frowned and pressed his lips in a thin line. Who was she to interrogate him without any authority representative around?

“Because I’m working with the Association.” Coldly answered Tsubasa. Cool fire flashed in her eyes, silently threatening the insolent man.

“I thought their main priority is the national security…” the confused man changed in the face and took a step back. The name of the Association had an effect on locals, but Tsubasa preferred not to use it often in the dialogues with common people.

“These… criminals are a threat far bigger than you think.” Tsubasa was going to ask some more questions from her long list, but the loud sound of a breaking glass and female screech didn’t let her even open her mouth.

“What the…” The man rushed to the room that the sound was coming from. “You again?!” Tsubasa heard the indignant but scared exclamation as she followed the house owner.

Pushing the man out of her way, Tsubasa stepped into the room and faced two figures in tight, black leather clothes; faces covered by the masks made of the same material as the rest of the outfit. Two pairs of bright red eyes stared at Tsubasa as she drew her katana out and took her battle stance. One of the persons switched his gaze to a scared woman in the corner of the room, trusting his partner to deal with the unexpected problem.

“Don’t underestimate me!” The idea of being ignored fueled Tsubasa’s anger. These two were certainly aiming to kill everyone in the house, but they wouldn’t win the easy way. With a swift slash she forced the intruders to jump back and draw their weapons too. “Run from here!” Tsubasa exclaimed loudly, casting a brief glance towards the cornered woman, then locking her eyes on her opponents again. Fighting two people and protecting two at the same time was merely a hard task. She needed civilians to leave the room, but the owner’s wife froze in place out of fear. “Take her out of here!” Tsubasa yelled, awaiting the attackers to move.

Hearing Tsubasa’s words, the house owner darted forward to his wife and pulled her up to her feet, but she immediately fell back again as her legs betrayed her with a fearful numbness. The scene caught the attention of the intruders, and one of them dashed to the pair, aiming a blow with his short knife. A metal clang rang in Tsubasa’s ears, as she jumped between the attacker and his scared targets at the last moment, narrowly but skillfully stopping the small blade with hers. She gritted her teeth, pushing the opponent back with all her strength. The masked person relied only on their sheer strength, forcing Tsubasa to stay in deep defense and use extra efforts to protect herself and the unlucky residents of the house. She mentally thanked all gods that the second intruder decided to enjoy the show for now, yet it was quite irritating to realize that they didn’t see her as a real threat.

“Finish her already.” The observer contemptuously mumbled through their mask.

Responding with a short nod, Tsubasa’s opponent took a small step back to aim another strong hit powered by additional driving force. There were not many options for Tsubasa to counter attack it, only a risky one. She slowly breathed out, calming down her nerves. She had only seen this move when she fought together with Maria in the underground tunnel and didn’t have a chance to practice it yet, but there was no other choice. As her opponent dashed forward with what they thought was a final attack, Tsubasa twisted around, letting the knife barely pass an inch away from her back. After one more step, she was already standing behind the confused person, slashing her katana across their back. Her sharp blade easily cut through leather armor, leaving a deep, clean wound from one shoulder the other. The body fell on the floor with a thud, ruining the fluffy carpet with dark red blood flowing from the cut.

“Damn bitch.” The second intruder cursed and sprinted towards Tsubasa, throwing his knife directly at her head.

It wasn’t an arrow, but instinctively Tsubasa swiftly caught the dagger’s hilt with her arm, but a dull pain in her stomach followed this short moment of triumph. The attacker’s fist left her gasping for air, as she fell down to her knees. It was a dirty style, but hardly a fair and honorable fight could happen in such a situation. Still gripping the weapons and coughing, she raised her eyes, which were burning with wrath, only to see another incoming strike. A knee almost connected with her jaw, as Tsubasa stuck the knife she held into the attacker’s thigh. Yelping in pain, the masked person swiftly jumped off, stumbling during the landing and fell on their back. They quickly tried to stand up, but Tsubasa’s boot on their chest pushed them back, firmly holding them in place as a tip of her sword ruthlessly pierced the heart.

“Take all you can and leave the city.” Breathing hard, she faced the wordless owner of the house who was staring at her. His wife unconsciously laid on his lap, like a piece of luggage not easily carried around. Her strict tone overpowered the man’s will, forcing him to nod nervously as he got up from the floor and took the woman in his arms. He could have asked her a lot of questions and even demanded protection from the Association, since she was working for them, but the man knew better than to argue with the armed woman that killed two people a moment ago. Of course, she knew what he and his family should do.

Holding her sword tight, Tsubasa walked closer to the broken window the intruders used as an entrance, and peered at the poorly lit street. There could be more of them, but she couldn’t feel any hostile presence around. Whoever sent them didn’t expect to meet any resistance. It was a lucky, or maybe unlucky, coincidence that Tsubasa appeared at the doorstep of this house right before the attack, but when the executors did’t return, the puppeteer would know they failed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For days, Kirika and Shirabe became observers and kept silent about the strange changes in Maria’s mood and behavior after Tsubasa’s visit. That day when they came back home the heavy atmosphere welcomed them with silent tension between the two older women, who were only gazing at each other from time to time and looking away if their eyes accidentally met. Furthermore, Maria’s eyes had returned to their normal turquoise color, though it was too early for her to go out on a hunt, since the sun was still high above the horizon. Feeling how complicated everything was, they didn’t dare to bring it up and ask what exactly had happened, but came to some obvious conclusions. And now, after several days with the same strange and depressive atmosphere round they had to do something to change things for the better.

“Shirabe, do you really think Maria ate Tsubasa-san up?” Sitting on the couch near her beloved partner, Kirika leaned closer to Shirabe, nudging her shoulder with her own. This topic was getting quite annoying for the dark haired girl, after all it wasn’t the first time this was brought up for discussion.

“At least not in the way you say it… Probably…” Kirika's wording only added more questions to the situation. Was it really only about feeding or did something lewder happened here? Both already felt how their brains began to melt wondering in doubts and suspicions.

“Maria is so depressed since Tsubasa-san left…” The blond girl’s voice held sad notes and sincere empathy for their dear friend. They couldn’t keep watching how her mood was getting gloomier with each passing day. “Maybe Tsubasa-san said something bad to her and hurt her feelings?”

“When they said their farewells it didn’t look like they had any negative emotions towards each other.” Shirabe closed her eyes thinking and slightly shrugged. Yes, they did watch them by spying around the corner, but only because they cared and Tsubasa didn’t earn their full trust yet. What if she tried to hurt Maria? They had to be there to interfere.

“And... I saw Maria sneaking into the guest room the other night.” Kirika laughed a bit nervously. It was an accident, she had to follow the call of nature at night but saw something she wasn’t supposed to.

“She had to change the sheets there. Why should it be a problem?” Shirabe raised an eyebrow, confused at Kirika’s words. There wasn’t anything unusual in the desire to clean up the guest room after the guest’s leaving.

“I’m not sure it had to be done in the middle of the night…” Kirika thoughtfully scratched the back of her head, proceeding with the idea. It could be a reasonable explanation, but yet something felt a bit off here. Maybe even too off. “Insomnia?”

“Kiri-chan, we won’t know. She won’t answer such a question honestly…” Shirabe sadly sighed. Everything in this situation was too complicated and thrilling at the same time, but there were not many options to help solve it. They already tried to carefully interrogate Maria about it, but she only gave some extremely vague answers and excused herself with some important business to attend to. How do you help someone who won’t admit that they need help?

“What do you think; does Tsubasa-san live somewhere near that cafe we met her at for the first time?” Bouncing in her place, Kirika looked at Shirabe with eyes full of sparks of excitement. It could mean only one thing – a crazy idea came to her mind and everyone should hide while they still had a chance.

“There is a possibility…” Carefully answered Shirabe, already expecting what would come next.

“We should make them meet each other and talk it out!” Kirika resolutely clinched both her fists raising them at the level of her chest. “I bet Tsubasa-san is in the same state. She looked just as suspicious as Maria did when she left.”

“I noticed her passing by yesterday…” Shirabe confessed. S She didn’t pay too much attention to this brief moment when she saw Tsubasa on the street and it wasn’t like they had any reason to stop or follow her. But now when Kirika mentioned it… “She was still wearing Maria’s scarf and looked quite pensive.”

“It sounds hopeless…” Kirika loudly breathed out, shaking her head. “But I have a plan!” She happily exclaimed with a devilish smirk on her face.

Until the moment Maria woke up and came out of her room, the conspiring duo discussed all of the details of their idea’s first step. They waved a greeting to their friend. Maria peered in Kirika’s face with suspicion, the bright smile there shined more than usual and it wasn’t a good sign at all. She moved her gaze to Shirabe, whose smile wasn't that intense, but yet she didn't look any less suspicious. Maria sighed in defeat, she wasn't in the mood to argue. She came home early in the morning, after making sure Nastassja was feeling better. She managed to take several short naps, but every time her mind had been annoying enough to wake her up in a rude way. She kept thinking about possible threats and how to help Tsubasa deal with them. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all to surrender to some impish plan her friends came up with if it could take her thoughts away.

“What are you co-plotting here?” Maria asked without visible enthusiasm, but she tried to put a soft smile on her face.

“Nothing! We only want to go somewhere and enjoy the day.” Kirika laughed nervously, unable to hide her wild emotions. “We haven't gone anywhere all together for so long.”

“It was only several days ago…” Maria weakly protested, knowing it wouldn’t work. They had already made a decision to drag her out today. The pair always tried to do the same trick when they felt Maria was down or over concentrated on something. Worrying about her, they carefully watched the changes in her mood and Maria fully understood that her current state couldn’t slip away from them.

“You need to unwind, Maria.” Shirabe calmly persuaded her friend to make the right decision. “And you know it, but don’t want to admit it…”

“All right.” Maria nodded, sighing in defeat.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the night full of events, Tsubasa came home closer to dawn feeling exhausted and immediately fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. She wasted a lot of time making sure the scared man left his house and no one followed him and his family. There were no doubts that all former prisoners already were or would be slain. Tsubasa felt infuriated. She knew the danger was there but could do nothing about it. Alone, she could try to save people but she couldn’t be everywhere at once. Even if she were to call Maria, the two might make only a little difference. If only there were more people she could trust... Tsubasa silently cursed the original plan but yet felt relieved that her assumptions were right and that they sent her to the West first, not someone else.

When the sun was already high, Tsubasa reluctantly dragged herself from the bed, yawning in the process. Her mood hadn’t improved and the swarm of her thoughts didn’t decrease their annoying spinning. She was bone tired. The bruise on her stomach greeted her with an unpleasant pain as she sat up on her bed. Groaning quietly, Tsubasa rubbed the sore spot and got up, looking for clothes to wear. There were so many things to do, so many problems to solve but the growling in her stomach announced which action should be done first. Wrapping the peach-pink scarf around her neck, she pushed through the door, leaving the room, and locked it behind her.

Automatically greeting the citizens as they passed by, Tsubasa headed to the small restaurant she used to visit for breakfast and dinner. The anticipation of nice, tasty food slightly raised her mood and motivated her to walk faster until all of the sudden she felt a tug on her sleeve.

“Ms. Kazanari…” An erratic voice called Tsubasa‘s name, forcing her to stop and turn her head. She faced a young man, wearing an old coat and a hat that partly covered his face with a broad-brim. He looked frankly nervous. His eyes quickly moved from one side to another, expecting to see something or someone, “I’m sorry… I need to speak with you. It’s important.” He blurted out the words, not looking at Tsubasa at all.

“What is it?” Tsubasa tried to answer as neutrally as possible but notes of irritation snuck into her voice. She was ready to listen to another piece of nonsense that had become pretty common since the moment her name was spread across the city.

“Can we walk for a bit?” He asked, tugging Tsubasa closer to follow him to the main street. “I have important information for you…” Tsubasa rolled her eyes, frustrated but still followed his lead, saying goodbye to the breakfast she was heading for so eagerly. The man led her down the wide street, maneuvering between other people while continuing to look around. 

Doubts about the man’s mental state occupied Tsubasa’s mind, as he headed to a more crowded area. Was he thinking that he was being followed and was trying to get lost amongst other people? But the track of Tsubasa’s thoughts was interrupted by a loud rumble, echoing from the nearest buildings. The tug on her sleeve weakened and then disappeared entirely, as the man fell to the earth. The fabric of his jacked little by little became soaked with blood from a bullet wound on his back. Tsubasa frowned at the sound of screams and squeals from all around them. People started to run away, knocking down and pushing each other aside, creating a terrible chaos. Noticing the movement, Tsubasa knelt down and carefully turned the man over onto his back. The bulled made a hole in his lung and passed through his body, it was pure luck that no one else was wounded.

“Take this…” The man reached his hand to the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a notebook, it’s lower side was covered in fresh blood. Tsubasa caught his weak hand and took the notebook, immediately hiding it in her pocket as she heard the sound of a police whistle. The man wanted to say something else but the coughing fit didn’t allow him to say a word as he began to choke. There was no way to save him, yet he managed a weak smile, pleased that he was able to do what he had to even if it didn't go as was planned.

“Please, step aside.” The commanding voice of a policeman came from behind her. Tsubasa could only follow the order, not wanting to make things even more complicated than they already were. She stepped back, observing how the law representative fumbled around all pockets of the victim, looking for something. She unconsciously laid a hand over her pocket where the notebook was, covering the visible protrusion of the fabric and hiding it from the curious eyes. Looking around she shook her head in regret, it was too late to track the shooter down. Only the direction of the attack was clear, but it was not enough and the time had been lost. In the corner of her eye Tsubasa noticed more policemen closing in on the area, forcing people to use other roads to pass by and driving away onlookers

“Did you know this man?” One of the officers came closer to Tsubasa, asking a routine question.

“No.” She replied shortly and bluntly, coldly looking at the policeman. “I was passing by. That’s all.” Whatever happened here it wasn’t a coincidence and if it wasn’t a coincidence, then there was no way to know who could be trusted. There was only one absolute thing in this city – trust no one.

“You should come with us ma'am.” The officer reached a hand out to place it on Tsubasa’s shoulder, but she pushed it away and glared at him with pure rage in her eyes.

“I won’t go anywhere.” The steel cold tone of her voice made the man visibly shiver. “You’d better look for the shooter than waste your time on useless interrogations. If I knew something, I wouldn’t stand here.”

“But…” The officer protested, gathering his determination, mercilessly destroyed by the young woman’s words.

“I’m leaving.” Tsubasa forced a polite nod to him, then turned around on her heels and walked away, ignoring the gazes and silent protests of all the policemen in the cordon. Suddenly her hunger disappeared and the only desire she still had was to get out of there.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Has something happened?” Shirabe asked watching as confused people run from the side of the main street. The panic and fear on the citizen’s faces certainly wasn’t a good sign.

“Why now…” Kirika groaned. The phase one of their small plan went smoothly enough, but now all had turned upside down because of some extraordinary event.

“We should take a look.” Maria said confidently, making her way through the crowd, gracefully moving around some people. Kirika and Shirabe hurried to follow her, refusing to leave Maria alone. The closer they got to the source of the chaos, the more distinctly Maria could feel the smell of the blood. Covering her nose with her palm she tried to move a bit closer but noticed the line of men in uniform, preventing people from passing this way

“Is that Tsubasa-san?” Kirika patted Shirabe’s shoulder getting her attention and pointed to the woman talking to the officer.

“Yes, and they are arguing…” Shirabe nodded, raising her eyes to Maria, who was watching the same scene with a strange mix of emotions visible on her face that were changing from one to another. Worry? Frustration? Relief? There was too much at once for Shirabe to read her expression accurately enough.

“They can arrest her…” Maria quietly murmured, clinching her fists. Tsubasa clearly wasn’t in a good mood and was too stubborn and prideful when it came to serious matters. The routine police procedure certainly wasn’t to her liking. Maria had a taste of it when they interrogated her about the murder of her family and it hardly could be called a nice experience. Asking dumb questions and wasting time, the police were creating a visible show of hard work, when in reality they just followed the orders of the Association. The fate itself forced her to focus her thought on Tsubasa again. No matter what Maria tried to do, she always ended up thinking about her.

“They are too scared of her to even try to stop her…” Kirika grinned, observing the reaction of the reaction of the officer to the last thing Tsubasa said before turning away and leaving without any resistance. “No surprise Maria likes her.”

“Kiri-chan!” Shirabe interrupted her.

“I…” Maria groaned. Why should she even bother to take a part in this conversation? “Did you see where she went?” The worry didn’t allow her to just walk away. Seeing Tsubasa so irritated and frustrated, Maria felt the urge to talk to her and try to calm her down.

“Of course.” Kirika gleefully smirked. “We’ll track her down for you.” Nodding to each other, the duo headed to the same side that Tsubasa went a moment ago, giving Maria no other choice but to follow them.

All the way, seeing only a glimpse of Tsubasa’s back or hair, they maneuvered through streets and alleys, in the end stopping near a common three-storey house.

“Here.” Kirika victoriously patted the entrance door.

“We’ll stay here and wait,” Shirabe nodded, turning to Maria. “You can find her inside, right?” They had learned long ago that Maria could sense things inaccessible for them and since she spent a lot of time around Tsubasa, finding her in the closed space wouldn’t be too hard.

“Yeah…” Maria swallowed nervously before pulling the door open and disappearing inside the building.

“Now let’s make sure no one is watching us.” Kirika placed her palm above her eyes, carefully peering into each corner around them. “Nothing should interrupt them.”

“I hope they won’t talk only about the incident…” Shirabe sighed and joined her partner in the observation mission.

Maria slowly but surely walked up the stairs to the second floor. She could sense Tsubasa’s presence somewhere here, but so far it was hard to say which of the doors would lead to her prize. Walking down the hall, she stopped, feeling the familiar scent. Turning to the door and breathing in to steady herself, Maria hesitantly knocked. Was it a good idea? She had to make sure everything is fine.

“M-Maria?” The annoyed expression on Tsubasa’s face instantly changed to a surprised one. The last person she expected to see here right now was the coral haired woman smiling at her at the moment.

“Hey, Tsubasa” Maria nervously waved her hand in greeting. “May I come in?” She asked while softly smiling.

“Sure… But what are you doing here?” Tsubasa stepped away, allowing her unexpected visitor to come inside.

“We went for a walk and….” Maria's words died down abruptly and she froze on the spot. “Did they break into your room?!” She harshly turned around and looked at Tsubasa with concern in her turquoise eyes. The unique kind of a mess displayed before her eyes looked like someone had stormed into Tsubasa’s room and turned all upside down searching for something.

“Um…” Tsubasa nervously looked away as her checks flushed red. “No…” She closed the door behind her, and leaned her back on it. “You didn’t answer... Why are you here?” She tried to turn the topic away from the state of her room.

“We saw the chaos and then your arguing with the police.” Maria slightly frowned. “What happened there?”

“Some man tried to give me that.” Tsubasa pulled the notebook from her pocket and showed it to Maria. “But he got shot before he explained anything…” She threw the item onto the table. “But it’s nothing compared to yesterday.” She tiredly breathed out. She was glad to see Maria and be able to tell her everything that bothered her, or at least almost everything. “I visited a man we saved, but when we were talking the men in black leather suits broke in and tried to kill everyone.”

“The Association.” Maria said coldly, her expression darkened at the mentioning of the black clothes of the attackers. “They were dressed the same way when they went to my house five years ago.” She gritted her teeth, wishing she was there with Tsubasa. “Did they hurt you?” She asked, peering at Tsubasa with worry and examining her appearance.

“No.” Tsubasa shook her head. “I killed them before they did anything irreparable.” She passed by Maria and headed to her bed wanting to sit down, but the dull pain in her stomach appeared again, making her wince and lay a hand over it.

“They did hurt you.” Maria stated, glaring at Tsubasa with concern and a drop of anger because of the lie. Tsubasa tried to hide her injury and it was clear as day.

“Just a bruise.” Tsubasa waved her hand, implying that there is nothing to worry about. “It’ll disappear in a few days.”

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?!” Maria groaned again in frustration. Taking a few steps she stopped before Tsubasa and bent over, placing a palm on her shoulder. “If you don’t want it to be the nice way, then so be it.” She pushed Tsubasa back against the bed, firmly holding her in place with her hand. Pressing a knee near the sentinel’s thigh, she began to unbutton the lowest buttons of Tsubasa’s shirt.

“M-Maria. What are you doing…?!” Tsubasa protested with panic, struggling to break free, but she could do nothing against this genuine determination. Blushing hard at the feeling of Maria’s fingers on the soft sensitive skin of her stomach, she looked away, trying to stay focused.

“Really nothing serious…” Maria relaxed taking a fortifying breath, as her fingertips carefully caressed Tsubasa’s belly. She looked down at the blushing woman beneath her, realizing what she just did. The breath got caught in her throat at the sight of a defenseless Tsubasa laying on her back in a half unbuttoned white shirt, sheepishly looking away.

“Are you done?” Tsubasa mumbled, hesitantly moving her gaze from the wall to Maria’s face, meeting her eyes. She felt the fire burning her from inside, as Maria pressed her to the bed firmly, refusing to let her move even an inch “Maria…?” Tsubasa carefully asked, confused by the look in the turquoise eyes. Her heart thumped faster in languid anticipation, as Maria leaned closer to her. Warm breath teasingly touched her skin, forcing her to look at the parted alluring lips above her.

“I’m so glad you are not injured…” Maria whispered, pressing her lips to Tsubasa’s in a slow passionate kiss. The idea of Tsubasa being hurt had tortured her since the moment the sentinel left her house, but facing the reality that Tsubasa had already been in the middle of the danger and could have died twice in a short period of time was that much worse. She couldn’t deny her irrational but yet unrestrainable attraction to Tsubasa anymore. The fear of losing the moment and regretting it for the rest of her life pushed her to obey these feelings and desires. Losing her mind in the soft and sweet sensation, Maria felt a timid touch of fingers on the back of her neck, pulling her closer, as Tsubasa answered her kiss with a growing insatiability.

They parted reluctantly as the need for oxygen reached an intolerable level, both breathing slowly and heavily. A satisfied smile curved Maria’s lips upwards, as she looked at breathless Tsubasa who’s half-lidded indigo eyes locked with hers. She could get used to such a view easily. Under her fingers she could feel the delightfully fast beat of the heart, waking up the predator within. Tsubasa was becoming the favorite prey of Maria as she felt more and more attracted to her.

“Does it mean I should try to stay unharmed from now on...?” Completely puzzled, Tsubasa asked quietly, as her fingertips ran down Maria’s neck. As unexpected as it was, Maria’s action fulfilled the desire Tsubasa had tried to hide in a deep corner of her mind. She licked her lips, still able to taste Maria on them. She was too lost in the moment to even question Maria’s words any further.

“Certainly.” Maria, now brandishing a pleased smirk, slid her palm on Tsubasa’s stomach with some pressure, eliciting a whine out of her. “You’d better be in a good shape for when I’ll want another treat.” She whispered teasingly, leaning closer to Tsubasa’s ear. The state of the sentinel was a key to break through her defenses and make her listen, preventing any risky actions in the future. She was in no position to argue or disagree and Maria was tempted to use it to her advantage.

A shiver spread through Tsubasa’ s body like a wave, as she felt the tips of Maria’s fangs on her earlobe. Gulping and closing her eyes, she tightly grasped the blanket under her fingers. Even if she wanted to, Tsubasa couldn’t resist this dominating and strong aura, but maybe she didn’t want to at all. She silently nodded in response, slowly breathing out as Maria moved away. The warmth of her body slowly faded, leaving Tsubasa with a feeling of emptiness.

“But for now I should go.” Maria sighed with disappointment. She had to be responsible and reasonable one. The girls were waiting for her. “Shirabe and Kirika are probably bored enough already…” She hesitantly stood up, casting one last glance at the flustered and blushing sentinel. “Let’s meet tomorrow at the café. The one from before.”

“I’ll be there at noon.” Answered Tsubasa while taking a sitting position and unsuccessfully trying to fix her shirt.

“See you soon then.” Maria smiled at her and casually left the room, closing the door behind her.

As Maria walked out to the street, Kirika and Shirabe exchanged a meaningful look. She seemed to be in a much better mood than before and a mysterious smile played on her slightly swollen lips.

“Did it go well?” Kirika whispered, hooking her arm around Shirabe’s.

“I think so…” Shirabe whispered back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is it a date? A good excuse to let others do the work."

The uneasy tremble in her chest didn’t let Maria relax throughout the evening. She ended up standing in a dark alley in the middle of the night, watching the entrance and windows of the building where Tsubasa lived. After a lot of recent events, something was bound to happen on this night, and even if Tsubasa would follow the little promise she was persistently forced to make, their lurking enemies could still make a move. Several hours had passed since Maria arrived and she had already managed to blame herself for becoming a stalker, when she accidentally noticed Tsubasa’s shadow in the window. The woman was definitely undressing before going to bed. The flow of the alluring scenes in Maria’s imagination distracted her and for some time she forgot about her reason for being there. Suddenly, a figure in a suit on the roof of the building caught her attention. The person knelt down on the edge and examined the facade. As the figure hung over the roof’s edge and pushed the window open with a foot, Maria swiftly dashed to the entrance, pulling her cloak’s hood over her head. She flew up the staircase as if there were no steps at all and stopped at the hall of the second floor, noticing her target sneaking closer towards the door to Tsubasa’s room.

 _‘I’ll take you alive._ ’ Maria thought, rushing forward and preparing to make the first blow. To her surprise, the suited man disappeared for a brief second and reappeared on her left side. Blinking in astonishment, Maria couldn’t believe her eyes, but there wasn’t time to be confused. Using her cloak as a distraction, she twisted around aiming a hit with her boot at the man’s head. Once again, the strike missed its target, leaving a small dent in the wall instead. Maria groaned in irritation, jumping back to create some distance between them and choose another tactic. Who the hell was this man?! 

“Stop right there!” The door opened with a slam, and Tsubasa’s commanding and cold voice made both figures freeze. Wearing only an unbuttoned white shirt and panties, she stood in the doorway with her sword in one hand and a lamp in the other. Despite her appearance, determination flared in her eyes and the serious expression on her face was almost ominous in the dim light.

“Tsubasa, step back.” Maria run forward to stand between Tsubasa and the man, throwing a protective hand in front of the sentinel. If Tsubasa was the target, she couldn’t allow her to step into the battle right now. It was too dangerous considering the skills of this opponent.

“Tsubasa-san, it’s me.” Unexpectedly the man simultaneously raised his hands and nervously laughed.

“Ogawa-san?” Tsubasa raised the lamp above Maria’s shoulder, lighting up the hall. The man in the suit flashed a friendly smile at both women, yet didn’t move.

“You know him?” Maria turned her head and looked at Tsubasa, arching her eyebrow in surprise.

“Yes. But, Maria, what are you doing here? What are you both doing here?” The tone of Tsubasa’s voice flounced between indignation and amazement. She didn’t expect to see either of them today. Ogawa was supposed to be miles away from here and Maria had promised to meet her tomorrow, but yet here they were.

“I…” Maria turned around to face Tsubasa properly, pulled off her hood, and forgot what she was about to say when she noticed the state of the sentinel’s clothing. “You.” She looked at Ogawa over her shoulder. “Turn away.” She ordered, returning her attention to Tsubasa and beginning to button up the cotton shirt. Under different circumstances she might prefer to not do it, but here with them was some strange man she saw for the first time and the idea of him seeing Tsubasa like that only fueled her exasperation. “It is a nice distraction, but now we need to talk seriously.” Gathering her will power, Maria took a steadying deep breath.

“M-Maria...” Tsubasa protested quietly but couldn’t interfere in the process since both of her hands were busy. Her checks flushed bright red when she looked at Maria’s face which was so close to hers at the moment.

“Can I turn around already…?” Ogawa hesitantly asked, still obediently standing with his hands up in the air and looking away.

“Both of you, come inside…” Restoring the coolness to her voice, Tsubasa stepped back into her room, placing the lamp on a table and hiding her katana in its sheath. “Now explain yourself.” After the door closed behind her guests, Tsubasa turned around to face them, frowning and crossing her hands over her chest.

“I’m sorry, Tsubasa-san, I should have come earlier...” Ogawa started first, lowering his head guiltily. “I arrived two days ago but spent a lot of time dealing with some strange people that followed you… I thought it would be better to meet you in private, away from prying eyes, especially in this complicated situation.” He then pulled a small oblong wooden box from his jacket’s inner pocket and held it out to Tsubasa, using both of his hands. “This is a message from your father.”

“And you?” Tsubasa glared at Maria, accepting the box from Ogawa’s hands. She carefully slid her fingers over the wooden top, hesitating to open it.

“I was worried and thought something might happen…” Maria mumbled, looking away the wall. Being caught wasn’t part of her plan, so she didn’t have a good explanation at hand.

“So, no one believes I can survive on my own.” Tsubasa’s expression darkened and her voice sounded gravely calm. Both Ogawa and Maria had secretly tried to protect her and she could understand their motives, but in the end it only hurt her confidence and pride.

“But it’s more dangerous than we thought, Tsubasa-san. Read the message and you’ll understand…” Ogawa carefully said. 

“Exactly. It became too dangerous. They could’ve shot you today.” Maria looked seriously at Tsubasa, keeping her voice under control and hiding away her fear and concern.

“I caught that shooter.” Ogawa looked at Maria and nodded. “But she took a poison before I could ask anything.” To the surprise of both women, Ogawa was aware of the event and even took part in it.

“Yeah. That happens sometimes.” Maria nodded understandingly in response. “I can’t figure out why they are so eager to die.” The man seemed to be good at his job and they could find a common ground or maybe even learn a few tricks from each other.

Tsubasa rolled her eyes in silence. Five minutes ago these two were fighting and now they were almost allies. She placed the box on the table and pressed her palms on the wooden surface on each side of it, debating whether she should open it right away or wait.

“Tsubasa-san. What happened to you?” Ogawa asked, returning Tsubasa back to reality. “The mark on your neck…” The bite mark had almost disappeared, but yet it was slightly visible and couldn’t stay unnoticed by Ogawa.

“Maria was hungry.” Tsubasa answered simply as if it was the most casual thing that could ever happen in the world, only to return her attention back to the box.

“She forced me!” Feeling Ogawa’s concerned glare on her, Maria indignantly tried to explain the situation from another angle.

“But you needed it and wanted it... I helped a bit.” Tsubasa shrugged, turning around and leaning onto the table with her hands crossed across her chest. She didn’t understand what was wrong here and why it caused such a reaction.

“Don’t try to justify your erotic fantasies here! You wanted it just as badly.” Maria felt how hot her cheeks were becoming. Tsubasa was insufferable. Was it because Ogawa was here? Did she try to be cool and indifferent while he was around, locking her real self away again? Or was what happened between them indeed only a casual matter to her? No, Maria knew better and had to remind Tsubasa about a few things. “If you forgot, you can’t trick me.” She stepped closer to Tsubasa, meeting her indigo eyes with a severe glare.

Tsubasa’s eyes widened as the meaning of the words hit her like a rock. “I’m not justifying anything. And if we are talking about erotic fantasies, what was it today then? Who forced you?” She mumbled as a red tint crawled up her cheeks. Maria was right, she couldn’t trick her and now she realized that earlier today her emotions and desires were given away as well.

“I see... You two are… close.” Ogawa laughed nervously, feeling awkward about being present and inadvertently listening in on this conversation. He needed an excuse to leave them alone, or at least remind them that he was still there. Before, Ogawa had wanted to ask who Maria was and why she was watching over Tsubasa’s place at night, but after this little argument the answer was obvious. The tension in the room arose too quickly, and not in the ways of anger or enmity. “Should I… leave you alone?” A polite smile curved his lips as he stepped closer to the door in case this interruption would cause an unfriendly reaction.

“No.” Tsubasa awkwardly cleared her throat, regaining her sense of calm. “We… will discuss this later.” She looked away, searching for something more neutral to focus her attention on. Why did everything go so wrong today? The last thing she wanted right now was to get into a strange and embarrassing dispute in front of anyone, especially Ogawa. Knowing Tsubasa from childhood, he had seen the many different situations she was involved in, but this one was beyond everything else. She herself didn’t fully understand what was going on between her and Maria, so how was she supposed to explain it to Ogawa?

“We sure will.” Maria agreed, quietly grunting. It definitely wasn’t a good time to continue the topic. They had to discuss it sooner or later or their productive cooperation would be in a great danger, but it could wait for a better moment. “Maybe you should read your message for a start.” Maria waved her hand at the box and then stepped away, giving Tsubasa some space. Despite the recent emotional storm, she noticed the sentinel’s hesitation and tension towards this item. It would be better to stay around while she read this mysterious message.

“Yeah…” Tsubasa helplessly nodded, taking the wooden box in her hands and inhaling deeply before opening it. The elegant scroll tied with a silk ribbon appeared in her hand, as she placed its storage back onto the table. It didn’t take much time to remove the binding and unwrap the paper. Silence hung in the room while Tsubasa carefully read each word. Little by little her expression became gloomy as if she was reading a cursed letter that said she would die soon. “You knew about it, didn’t you?” Tsubasa raised her indigo eyes from the scroll to Ogawa, expecting an honest answer.

“Yes. I’m supposed to assist you.” Ogawa nodded. “Your father decided to use this opportunity to find potential allies here and distract attention from…” He didn’t know if he should continue to explain the details of the plan while Maria was here. The two women were obviously close, but he didn’t know how much they were telling each other. His experience taught him to show caution around new people. “When he came up with this plan we didn’t know you had already made quite a… noise here.” Ogawa smiled. He was genuinely impressed when he heard the name Kazanari from the people on the streets during his first day here. No one could have predicted such a turn of events so quickly. According to expectations, Tsubasa was supposed to have been stuck in meetings and training with the Association members, but in reality something went wrong.

“And what is it all about?” Maria frowned, looking from Ogawa to Tsubasa. Their expressions were serious and concentrated, pointing out the difficulty of the mission they were assigned to do.

“A formal reception. Dedicated to the governor’s birthday.” Tsubasa coldly answered, wrapping the scroll up and putting it back in the box. “I should attend and represent my family.” She sighed in defeat. It wasn’t a task for a sentinel, but she couldn’t refuse to do what her father told her to.

“No.” Maria felt like yelling, but with some difficulty she kept her voice from rising. She wished she had misheard something. “You can’t go there.” Maria gritted her teeth in disbelief, thinking this had to be some bad joke. “Do you remember the lists of the names I have? Half of the people on it will be there, and right now they want you dead.” She couldn’t allow Tsubasa to go right into the lair of hungry beasts. That would be the perfect opportunity to do what Nastassja had warned her about. If something were to happen with Tsubasa at the event, they would have enough loyal witnesses and a potential scapegoat to blame, covering all of the connections to the Association.

“I have to.” Tsubasa lowered her head and shook it.

“It’s the same as if he ordered you to commit suicide!” Losing her self-control, Maria exclaimed with a panic in her eyes.

“Technically that’ll be the next order if I refuse to obey this one.” Tsubasa calmly answered, raising her head and looking at Maria. A sharp pain tightly squeezed her heart at the sight of Maria’s expression. Staying calm was the least she could do now.

“It’s madness.” Maria sat on the bed, pressing a hand to her face. It was some kind of nightmare and she couldn’t stop it right away. Whatever she would say or do wouldn’t stop Tsubasa from attending, and so far Maria didn’t see a solution. But there was still time to come up with a plan. There had to be some way to prevent the worst outcome.

“Maria-san.” Ogawa called her politely, trying to get her attention. “Please don’t worry. I’ll be there and won’t let anything happen to Tsubasa-san.” He soothingly smiled as Maria looked at him. “Can you, please, tell me more about the list you mentioned and the people on it?”

“Good idea, Ogawa.” Tsubasa praised him and nodded approvingly. “Also, take this.” She took the notebook she acquired earlier that day and handed it to the man. “It’s better if you keep it.”

“Let’s go. I’ll bring you up to speed.” Maria abruptly stood up, nodded to Ogawa and pulled up her hood. She had to use any help she could get. The man had enough experience and might prove to be useful in ways no one else could be. Maria already had a few ideas in mind of how to use Ogawa’s skills and they certainly could find common ground. Once again, a potential ally came as the result of a sudden fight. She silently laughed at the ridiculous irony. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tsubasa.’ Maria briefly looked at the sentinel while avoiding eye contact, and headed to the door. She hoped they could discuss everything more calmly tomorrow but was afraid that without a reminder Tsubasa might forget about their planned meeting.

“Good night, Tsubasa-san. Once again, sorry for the noise.” Ogawa bowed and hurried to follow Maria.

“Take care,” said the slightly bewildered sentinel. They left a bit too suddenly, she had expected more discussion but maybe it was for the best. She locked the door behind her late-night visitors and fell onto the bed with a groan of exhaustion. Now there were so many new problems.

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Maria and Ogawa left the building in silence. When Maria choose from where to start, she told him the short version of the events from the first meeting with Tsubasa to the present moment, yet skipped some of the more sensitive parts of the story. It was surprisingly easy to explain since Ogawa quickly understood the smallest details without any specific explanation. His mind processed the new information quickly and without problems, allowing him to see the whole situation at once.

“Thank you for looking after Tsubasa-san.” Ogawa genuinely said as Maria finished her story. “I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.” He laughed quietly. Knowing Tsubasa and her specific nature, he could imagine that it wasn’t too easy.

“Sometimes she needs a good slap…” Maria admitted with a sigh. “But she is also terribly cute and it saves her from that.” The memory of Tsubasa’s confused face appeared in Maria’s mind, putting a soft smirk on her lips.

“Please, be patient with her.” Ogawa looked at Maria. “It’s not my place to explain, but she has a hard time trusting people, and her lack of social skills doesn’t help with it at all.” He sighed sadly. He knew Tsubasa all too well and it was quite a surprise to see her working with someone outside of her usual team. “No offence, but I’d expect her to keep hunting you and not…cooperating.” Being a tactful person, he didn’t want to offense Maria by using the term ‘vampire’ or mentioning the feeding again, since it had brought a lot of awkwardness earlier. Ogawa would never expect Tsubasa to become allies with one of the creatures she had been killing for years. More than that, giving her blood to one of them was a disgrace from the point of view of the Kazanari clan, yet it happened. “To be honest, I’m ready to trust you simply because I see the way Tsubasa-san looks at you.” Ogawa smiled, noticing a light pink color on Maria’s cheeks barely visible from under her hood.

“I only wonder what kind of life she had.” Maria murmured, recalling the phrase Tsubasa had said about a possible suicide order. Was she really able to do that? But also, what kind of a family did she have if she expected such an order from them? It was no surprise that Tsubasa was subconsciously protecting herself by concentrating on one thing and ignoring the world around her. 

“Tsubasa-san has been chained by both obligation and duty since birth… And for a long time she wasn’t even allowed to dream.” Ogawa said hesitantly. “But maybe she’ll tell you everything herself, when she is ready.”

“Maybe one day, when things aren’t so hectic.” Maria raised her head and looked at the dark night sky. She didn’t even know how to ask Tsubasa about the past or her life, and there never was enough time. But it was important for her to know it, if she wanted to understand her better. And Maria wanted to.

Soon enough, they were standing near Maria’s house. She asked Ogawa to wait outside at the back door while she went to collect the promised notes and papers. Stepping inside the house, Maria suddenly felt the weight of the recently acquired information with a renewed vigor. They were outplayed due to a lack of information exchange. The people who were supposed to be allies aggravated the situation with their great orders. Why couldn’t it be ignored? It was so stupid to follow the decisions of a person who was far away from here and knew nothing about the real state of affairs.

Keeping the storm of emotions under control, Maria gathered all the things she was willing to share right now. Recently she had copied all the marks from the seller’s map over to a new one, as well as sorted the names into new lists in accordance with the newly found facts. Among everything, there were the names of people who would likely be present at the governor’s reception; they required special attention. Maria powerlessly sighed, looking through all of the materials. It would be easy to explain everything to Ogawa, but still without personally knowing these people he would have a hard time recognizing them.

 _‘Maybe I should go there too…?’_ She asked herself a difficult question, but was unable to answer it right away. She could get an invitation, but it might bring too much attention. The last time she visited a big social event, she attended with her family and it was so annoying. Half of the evening was wasted on attempts to scare away rich sly boys who desperately tried to infatuate Serena. She softly smiled at the memory. Actually that was quite entertaining.

When she finally returned to Ogawa, she found him thoughtfully peering at the sky. His concentrated face gave away the tension and doubts he had at the moment.

“Here is everything you can use.” Maria said after clearing her throat to get Ogawa’s attention. “I can clarify some parts for you, but there shouldn’t be much trouble. I made the notes as simple and informative as possible.” She handed the man a stack of papers.

“Maria-san.” Ogawa hesitantly pronounced, accepting the items that were given to him. “Maybe it’s not the best time to tell you this, but your father contacted the Kazanari clan many years ago.” From the moment Maria properly introduced herself to him and shortly mentioned the tragedy with her family, Ogawa was trying to figure out how to bring this up.

“What?” Maria looked at him puzzled. The mention of her farther all of the sudden made her freeze in place without anything else to say.

“The Kazanari clan received a request from the West many years ago. The group of people needed help with a delicate but disturbing situation here. They couldn’t trust their own people and believed we could help them. Your father was one of the people who suggested to work together against a common threat.” Ogawa carefully started to explain, searching for the right words. A lot about this request was classified and not many people knew about it even in the Kazanari clan. “Tsubasa-san’s father, Yatsuhiro-sama, personally watched over the whole thing, but soon the contact was lost.” He paused. Of course back then they could only guess what happened. “It’s such a shame that politics and hesitation stood in the way.” Ogawa knew that likely nothing could’ve changed the situation even if Kazanari agreed to cooperate right after the first doubtful request, but yet a small drop of guilt bothered his soul now.

“I see…” Maria whispered lowering her eyes. It became hard to breathe. An unpleasant lump appeared in her throat. After all this time she still didn’t know everything about her own family. A lot of things disappeared from her father’s office, leaving Maria in ignorance about all of his work and contacts. With Nastassja’s help she managed to recover only a small part of the whole puzzle. “Then why Kazanari is acting now?”

“We got another request…” Ogawa ran a hand through his short brown hair. “But now from the Association, which your father and his friends called a main threat. There was a lot of arguing but in the end it was decided to not stay aside once again.”

“But you don’t trust the Association.” Maria stated, figuring out where all of it was going to and why.

“Yes. However, it was an official request and we can do a lot of things openly now. But I don’t know what exactly Yatsuhiro-sama has in mind…” Ogawa shook his head. He knew as much and didn’t question his orders. “And it’s likely that I’m not the only agent in the West right now.”

“And Tsubasa is literally the bait…” Maria sighed. She didn’t have the power to be angry anymore. “I want to have a word with her father.” 

“It wasn’t his decision…” Ogawa tried to object but stopped himself. It wasn’t his place to talk about the complicated relationships and difficult choices that had to be made every day in the Kazanari clan.

“Send him a message. If he is planning to cooperate he should stop interfering blindly.” Maria’s voice held steel notes. She knew that working in a group, especially in a big one, wouldn’t be easy. The first attempt to do so might turn into a disaster from the very beginning. They could come up with any plan here, but another blind order from Tsubasa’s father would ruin everything. She might not care and could just let them do whatever they want, but Tsubasa’s life was at stake in this game. Maria couldn’t ignore it. “This time I’ll help to smooth it out.” Maria found an answer to the question she had asked herself before and made a decision. “I’ll go to this party as well.”

“But Maria-san, aren’t you trying to avoid too much attention?” Ogawa’s face was puzzled and his eyes were full of confusion. “No need to force yourself to do it. I’m able to…”

“Yeah, your skills are remarkable but your senses aren’t as acute as mine.” Maria interrupted him, knowing what he was going to say. “And the three of us can accomplish more there.” Her voice was unusually confident as she said it. 

“I assume you’ve made your decision…” Ogawa chuckled quietly, surprised at how fast it came to this point. Arguing with Maria was clearly pointless and the amused fire in her eyes only grew, confirming his assumptions. “I assure you, seeing Tsubasa-san in an evening gown will be worth all the trouble.” His lips curved in an understanding smile as he noticed the change in Maria’s expression at his words.

“I suppose…” Maria hesitantly mumbled. In the process of planning the ‘operation’ she had forgotten this small detail. Knowing Tsubasa, she would expect to see her standing in the corner in her common clothes, harshly looking at everyone, but it could hardly be a good way to represent the powerful Kazanari family. “Anyway, don’t tell her that yet.” Maria cleared her throat, concentrating on the present again.

“It’ll be a touching surprise.” The smile was still present on Ogawa’s lips. He had already made a mental note to make sure Tsubasa would look stunning at the party. “She will be happy to see a friendly face.”

“I guess… But enough for today.” Maria cut the conversation off before it went too far. She started to feel that Ogawa was eager to reveal some secrets and points that could help her win the sentinel over. It certainly was unnecessary. She was planning to find her way to Tsubasa on her own. She almost choked on saliva at this thought. Did she really think about it right now? It was an important and dangerous event, not a fancy romantic date.

“Good night, Maria-san.” Ogawa smiled and slightly bowed his head. “And good luck tomorrow.”

“Thank you…” The only thing Maria could do was sigh, and so she did. The man had a sharp mind and to deny anything would be foolish. After all, he heard the whole conversation between Tsubasa and herself.

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The new day came as the time continued to flow mercilessly, ignoring the troubles of living beings. Maria felt unusually nervous and debated with herself about the clothes she should wear. It’s not like she planned a date, but in the end she realized that it was important for her to look good and appealing at this meeting. She had invited Tsubasa while under the influence of the moment and didn’t have a single idea what they were going to do or discuss. Some improvisation always could save the day, but only if she could improvise in such a state. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. There was no reason to worry and overdo everything. It was getting cold lately and a common jacket paired with a simple blouse and a long skirt would be a most reasonable choice. Maria was ready to see the upset faces of Kirika and Shirabe when she said that she would go alone, but they only looked at each other conspiratorially and wished her good luck. It was somewhat strange, especially since she didn’t explain where she was going, but there was no time to question them.

Despite her attempts to not rush and walk at a usual pace, Maria still arrived ten minutes before the set time. Looking through the window, she noticed Tsubasa sitting there with a deep frown on her face and arms crossed over her chest. Did something already happen in the morning that spoiled her mood? With this question in mind Maria walked into the cafe. The bell above the door rang out just as before, announcing her arrival with a cheerful sound.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Maria asked as she walked closer and stopped near the table Tsubasa was sitting at. The question fell from her lips before she even managed to greet the sentinel. Her concern was to blame for it. Seeing Tsubasa so serious and grumpy again called out the memories of their first meeting here. But the difference was that this time around the Association agents were not involved.

“No. I’m disappointed with Ogawa-san’s carelessness.” Tsubasa raised her eyes and looked at Maria. She wouldn’t admit it, but she didn’t get enough sleep today. Afraid to oversleep and be late, Tsubasa woke up too early and couldn’t find anything to distract her mind. And even Ogawa wasn’t much help because he refused to discuss anything in the morning, finding a hundred and one reasons not to do it. “He didn’t want to come with me and plan our next move. There is so much to do now. I’ll have to meet a lot of important people and speak to half of them on behalf of my father, but so far I have no idea what this is all about. Not to mention that I need to look for an appropriate outfit. What is a common thing to wear for a party in this country?” Tsubasa began to mumble one thing after another, accompanying it with annoying taps of her forefinger on the forearm. With each word she frowned even deeper and her gaze soon became lost in space.

“Tsubasa…” Maria called, trying to get her attention and make this mind flow stop, but the attempt failed miserably. Tsubasa continued to add new things to the endless list of her concerns. Sighing, Maria raised her hand, positioned it in front of Tsubasa’s face, and made a slight flick on the sentinel’s forehead with her fingers.

“What was that for?” Tsubasa asked indignantly, rubbing her forehead and finally paying attention to Maria. She was so concentrated on her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the terrible threat that hung over her head.

“For being an ignorant sword again.” Maria shook her head, sitting across from Tsubasa. “The next words you were going to say were supposed to be ‘as a sword of Kazanari…’, right?” Maria stopped to pay attention to Tsubasa’s monologue after a minute or so but she knew the other woman well enough already to guess what the main idea of it was.

“I didn’t…” Tsubasa protested while glancing at Maria, but the pink tint on her cheeks proved that Maria was right.

“Maybe Ogawa-san wanted you to relax and put your mind at ease. Didn’t you think about it?” Maria asked, propping her chin by her hand with her elbow resting on the table. Ogawa was right, she would certainly need some luck here.

“Maybe...” Tsubasa mumbled quietly, sheepishly looking down. She didn’t even try to guess why Ogawa would be so eager to skip his duties and give her free time. For the first time in her days here she could do what she wanted and not care about any problems because Ogawa was here to take part of the responsibility.

“I should’ve invited him…” Maria shook her head with histrionic disappointment. “With such a courteous and attentive man it could be a proper date…” Holding a laugh back and seeing the change in Tsubasa’s expression, Maria forced a sad sigh. Her little joke ignited a strange fire in the indigo eyes before her. Frustration? Jealousy? Maria amusingly peered into Tsubasa’s face, awaiting the revelation of these emotions.

“I doubt it.” Tsubasa frowned again and closed her eyes, breathing evenly. “He never even had one. Nothing can be good right away without practice.” All of the sudden she became serious and reasonable, but reasonable only by her own strange standards.

“How do you know?” Maria looked at Tsubasa, raising one eyebrow. She had more questions but decided to proceed slowly as not to break the poor sentinel’s mind. 

“He is a busy person bound by duty, just like me.” Tsubasa opened her eyes but immediately regretted it, noticing the little merciless smile playing on Maria’s lips.

“So, your judgement is based on your own experience…” Maria hummed, smiling at Tsubasa. “Does it mean you haven’t had any dates?” The conversation slowly moved beyond amusement, now Maria was genuinely intrigued.

“Tachibana usually forces us all to go somewhere together.” Tsubasa answered sighing wistfully. The tone of her voice became sadder. Even if she was sometimes too cold with her younger friends, she still loved to be around them and now these thoughts made her miss them. “But, I suppose, that’s not what you meant.”

“Let’s take a walk.” Maria suggested and stood up, feeling the mood turned south. She didn’t expect that her small teasing jokes would touch such a sensitive subject. Silently scolding herself for a wrong choice of direction, in which the conversation was going, she decided to smooth it over in some way and cheer Tsubasa up. From all she had heard Maria realized with clarity how empty Tsubasa’s life was, but at least she had a caring friend who pushed her beyond her routine duties despite her temper and status. It was not a surprise Tsubasa missed her dear friends and needed them after staying here all alone for so long. But Maria hardly could be just a friend for Tsubasa now, even if the path she was willing to take promised to be a bit thorny. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to drink anything?” Confused, Tsubasa stood up as well following Maria to the exit.

“They don’t serve the drink I like so much lately.” Maria smiled softly, touched by the concern, as she pushed the door open.

Tsubasa swiftly caught up with Maria to walk side by side with her. “But you drank tea last time, and the wine…” This fact left many questions in Tsubasa’s mind. From everything she was taught, she knew that the creatures called vampires didn’t need any kind of common food or any liquid other than blood. Was it wrong then? She never questioned such things, but seeing the way Maria lived and acted, it cast doubt on all of her previous knowledge and beliefs. But it wasn’t the vampires in general that interested her, she wanted to know more about Maria. Tsubasa hadn’t noticed how quickly she accepted the real nature of the other woman and stopped blaming herself for breaking a lot of the rules she was sworn to follow.

“Ah, that…” Maria smiled, moving a stray lock from her face and tucking it behind the ear with her fingers. “I do like to enjoy the taste sometimes, but yet it is nothing compared to what it was before. More like a sad reminder that nothing’ll be the same again…” Maria was ready to say that she was used to it after all of the time that passed, but felt the hesitant and indecisive touch of Tsubasa’s fingers on her hand. The next thing she felt was disappointment as the touch faded and Tsubasa’s hand fell back to her side. Obviously, comforting people wasn’t a thing the sentinel was used to and Maria couldn’t be angry or frustrated knowing that, however, it didn’t save her from a nagging discomfort that appeared in her chest.

A silence fell between them. It was heavy and not exactly an awkward one. Neither of them could find the right words. Tsubasa didn’t know what she could do to ease the sadness she heard in Maria’s voice and it tortured her, squeezing her heart with tantalizing pain. But at the same time she wanted to ask more. Maria didn’t know what to say that would change the subject right away. She always ignored these thoughts but saying them out loud left her in a contradictory state. On the one hand it was like removing a heavy weight from her chest, but on the other hand she didn’t want to trouble Tsubasa with the gloomy details. Even if she wanted to tell her everything, she couldn’t overcome her own mental barriers to do so.

The road brought them out to the city park. The same one where they met each other for the second time, but there weren’t any nostalgic feelings about it at the moment. During the day time, everything around them looked much friendlier, and with people strolling through the park it was even lovely. If only they weren’t so deep in their thoughts…

“How did it happen…?” Whispered Tsubasa hesitantly, venturing to ask this question. She knew Maria could perfectly hear her and it felt safer to say it quietly. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.” She added, unusually quickly taking into account how hard it might be for Maria to do.

Maria turned her head in surprise only to meet Tsubasa’s eyes looking at her with anxiety. Asking such a question wasn’t much easier than answering it. She could see that Tsubasa was genuinely interested in hearing her answer but at the same time was afraid of something. Looking around in search of a secluded place, Maria led Tsubasa to one of the benches placed at a distance from the main walking path. She sat down as soon as they came close to it and with a gesture suggested that the sentinel should do the same.

“Do you know how it is supposed to happen?” Maria asked looking into space when Tsubasa sat near her. “All of these bites and then the pouring of blood into people’s mouths ‘rituals’.” She clarified and after seeing a nod in response she continued. “So, it wasn’t anything like that.” She clamped the edge of her jacket between her fingers. It was the first time she had discussed it with anyone and as expected it was terribly hard. “The memories are blurry. I remember being dragged into the hallway by two people in black clothing. The male voice kept ordering them to be careful, because he needed me alive for some reason. Lying on the floor and unable to move or focus, I could only discern how a man in a white coat pulled a vessel from his pocket and filled a syringe with a dark-red viscous liquid. Then I felt a piercing pain in my neck and all went dark.” She laughed, dolefully and quietly. “Sounds like some kind of twisted plan, doesn’t it?” Maria felt how a warm hand laid on hers. “I’m just glad the changes didn’t occur immediately. Otherwise it could turn quite ugly.” She raised her hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose sighing with exhaustion.

“If their serum was supposed to kill you then I’m glad it didn’t work.” Notes of anger and relief were mixed in Tsubasa’s voice. She couldn’t forgive the people who did this, but the fact of their failure made their doings known and left a chance to serve justice.

“You know, it haunts me. I have no doubt it was the Association’s doing. My father opposed them. Ogawa told me that my father contacted your family not long before his death. I bet the Association knew about it and took measures to silence him. But then why did they do this to me? They have never again tried to kill me. Is it because they think it doesn’t matter now, or is it because it’s a part of the bigger plan? So many questions remain and it drives me crazy sometimes.” She leaned against the bench’s back and looked at the sky. Clouds lazily floated above their heads, muddy and grey just like Maria’s memories and thoughts. But a piece of clear blue sky suddenly appeared between them.

“We’ll figure it out and I’ll make sure all of their plans fail.” Tsubasa’s firm and soothing voice pulled Maria out of her melancholy state. 

Maria weakly smiled, laying her free hand over Tsubasa’s and locking her turquoise eyes with the indigo ones. The tender warmth in her chest grew as she felt the sentinel’s even pulse under her fingers. The fire of determination she had seen before in Tsubasa’s eyes was again fixed on her, but now it was a caring and protective one. What an interesting turn some events could take from time to time. Today Maria wanted to try to make Tsubasa be more open with her, but in the end she was the one revealing the dark secrets of her past. She chuckled at her thoughts and the vicissitudes of fate.

“What’s so funny?” Tsubasa asked confusedly, repeating in her mind the last words she said and not finding anything funny or weird among them.

“Nothing.” Maria shook her head. “Back then I just couldn’t imagine that the woman who tried to kill me would pledge her sword to defeat my enemies.”

“Seeing what I thought was a lifeless body in your hands didn’t leave me any other choice.” Tsubasa frowned, feeling a bit ashamed for her past actions. “And I still don’t approve assaulting people at night…”

“You are used to seeing such scenes with a different outcome, aren’t you?” Maria could guess how much worse the scenes that Tsubasa had seen were, and it surely left a mark on her worldview. “I don’t blame you.” She caressed Tsubasa’s hand with her thumb.

“To put it mildly, yeah.” Tsubasa’s expression darkened and her heavy gaze fell down towards the ground. “Usually when we have a new mission it means that someone has died. And no one knows how many more will die before we find the target.” Even with all of the resources that the Kazanari clan had, it was impossible to watch over every person in the country. After years of ruthless hunts, their enemies became more careful and secretive, laying low and staying hidden. Looking for them turned into a difficult task and the dead bodies were the only evidence proving their existence. “I’m always late…” Tsubasa said quietly but angrily. She gritted her teeth as the memories flashed in her mind. So many lives could’ve been saved if there was a way for her to be faster and stronger. “And if Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi said the truth… And now I’m the last to open my eyes to the reality of my own family.” Tsubasa still didn’t want to believe the words of the younger girls but they had no reason to lie about it. Since the day she heard their story she had wasted a lot of effort to throw this fact out of her head. Forgetting could be the easiest and all-round best way not to deal with it, but it was impossible. More than that, accepting it as an ultimate truth would mean facing the fact that many of the things they did were pointless. Saving people in the first place had no meaning if the witnesses were supposed to be erased from existence. “Do they really kill everyone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?” The question was merely rhetorical and Maria couldn’t know it, yet Tsubasa looked at her with a sincere plea for an answer in her eyes.

“Maybe it was just a wrong decision made by a leader of the group Kirika and Shirabe met?” Maria attempted to come up with a logical explanation that could clarify the situation without stamping the whole clan as heartless murderers. Seeing Tsubasa pained and even afraid was unbearable for Maria. She knew how it felt to face the rough and cruel reality, when all you knew and believed in fell into an abyss leaving you face to face with undeniable cold facts. Maria took Tsubasa’s hand in hers and gently squeezed it.

Tsubasa only shook her head in response. “If later they were put on the wanted list, then it wasn’t an accident or a one-time order.” Sadly, Tsubasa knew how everything was supposed to work and how unconditionally Kazanari agents followed the orders and prescribed action protocols. Tsubasa leaned closer to Maria, pressing their shoulders together. This simple action helped her to calm down and relax. Tsubasa was used to holding all doubts and feelings locked away, not letting anyone see her in a state of dismay or uncertainty, but with Maria it appeared to be different. The desire to share and talk unobtrusively pushed Tsubasa forward, encouraging her to be more open. “But I’ve never heard about any similar accidents. Our squad commander always told us to bring witnesses to our base for a talk. And all of them stayed alive. Some even work with us now. If we were ordered to kill them… It would mean Kanade died for nothing…” Tsubasa sighed closing her eyes. She never thought about it but if their squad was independent enough not to follow all of the traditions and orders, then she was lucky to be its member. But at the same time it left her blind to the truth.

“What happened?” Maria asked carefully. It clearly wasn’t a happy story and the slight tremble in Tsubasa’s hands gave her a cue that it also was a touchy subject, but there was no way back now.

“The organized group of yokai attacked the traditional summer festival. Many people enjoyed the celebration. Kanade and I were there as well. When the panic began we rushed to the source and fought back. I was young and unexperienced back then. Being outnumbered we got separated in the heat of the battle...” Tsubasa paused for a moment, swallowing a lump in her throat. “Kanade was seriously wounded protecting a little girl… If only I was faster…” Tsubasa tightly gritted her teeth, blinking back the unwanted tears. “When backup finally came, we had slain all of the bastards but Kanade lost too much blood fighting with an open wound. I could only watch her die…” Tsubasa turned and pressed her forehead to Maria’s shoulder, hiding her face from the world. She didn’t expect to feel so broken. The story was old and time was supposed to heal everything, but still the pain and regret appeared again with the same force. Tsubasa felt the movement near her and then strong arms wrapped around her shoulders in a protective gesture, pressing her to Maria’s chest.

“She was very important to you, wasn’t she?” Maria whispered calmly while gently rubbing Tsubasa’s back. Had no one before allowed Tsubasa to let these emotions out? Maria silently questioned the past of the woman in her arms, pressing her closer. Their stories were different but yet so alike. Both had tasted the bitterness of a loss and helplessness in the face of an inevitable doom.

“Yes…but… I don’t know...” Tsubasa mumbled a confusing answer. “I didn’t have a chance to figure it out… “ Listening to the slow and calming rhythm of Maria’s heart she allowed herself to relax. At this moment the world around didn’t exist, along with all the responsibility, duty and rules. Only the gentle warm sensation from the contact mattered. “It shouldn’t have ended like that… If I…” The thoughts about Kanade hadn’t left Tsubasa’s head for many years. Even diving deep into work and training couldn’t set her mind completely free. The past haunted and tormented her. 

“We both can’t return to those darkest days and change the past.” Maria said quietly, rubbing her cheek on Tsubasa’s hair. Many times she had done the same thing, imagining different outcomes and blaming herself for being weak. But all of these ‘ifs’ couldn’t change the past. “We can only preserve our grief, despair, and memories and keep moving forward, cutting through the nightmares to the future.” These were the words she had been telling herself to stay sane and keep going when there was nothing else to believe in. She couldn’t forget the past, but living in the moment was the only way to fulfill Serena’s last wish and stay alive no matter what. “At least we can create the future we want to live in and make the deceased proud.” Maria smiled and gently pressed her lips to Tsubasa’s forehead. 

“Thank you, Maria.” Tsubasa whispered. She sensed the care and support in Maria’s voice, which eased the torturing pain in her chest, replacing it with a calm soft feeling. Nothing could remove the years of lone silent suffering, yet for the first time she truly felt the relief. Maybe it was really the time to finally move on. This small thought appeared in her mind as a scary but encouraging sparkle. 

“Everything didn’t go as I planned.” Maria laughed quietly, realizing what an unexpected turn their conversation took. However, from the moment they met each other everything was too unpredictable and strange, and it would be rather absurd to try to predict or plan anything in advance. “But I’m glad we managed to talk about it.”

“Yeah…” Tsubasa slightly nodded, still lingering in Maria’s embrace. She couldn’t fight the desire to let this moment last a bit longer. “But what was your plan?”

“Didn’t you tell Ogawa-san that we will discuss what happened yesterday? I have been preparing for it.” The heavily sad mood had to be lightened and cast away so Maria decided to take this opportunity. The sudden change in Tsubasa’s heart beat caught her attention and she noticed how the sentinel’s only visible cheek slowly became reddish.

“Do we really need to discuss it?” Tsubasa mumbled, trying to make her voice sound calm and indifferent.

“Not really…” A factitious sigh escaped Maria’s lips, as she eased her hold on Tsubasa and, moving a bit over away, looked at her. “But there was one thing I wanted to ask…” She slightly frowned, seriously looking into Tsubasa’s eyes. “Tsubasa, was it your first kiss?” She held the chuckle back with all her will power as she saw how Tsubasa’s eyes became wide.

“M-Maria…!” The question caught Tsubasa of guard, leaving leaving her unable to say something in response.

“You don’t have to answer.” Maria smiled while amusement shined in her eyes. “As for what you asked yesterday… No one forced me. It was my own wish.”

Tsubasa shyly looked away as the thoughts spun around in her mind like a storm. She didn’t know what to say and how to act in this situation.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you home.” Maria stood up and reached her hand out for Tsubasa, smiling brightly. The reaction she saw pleased her and filled her heart with joy, giving her a cue that she was following the right path here and her impulsive actions from before didn’t ruin anything.

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“Eavesdropping?” Maria asked to the empty space around her, standing not far from the house where Tsubasa lived. They said their farewells a few minutes ago, and Maria was ready to head home as well, but there was an unfinished business she needed to attend to.

“It seems I can’t hide from you, Maria-san.” Ogawa’s voice came from behind the corner, as he quietly laughed. He knew Maria had noticed his presence a long time ago but was nice enough to let it slide and didn’t mention it to Tsubasa. “I was only making sure no one bothered you.”

“Anyway, it’s good you are here.” Maria pressed her shoulder to the wall and lowered her voice. “Meet with this person as soon as possible.” Her arm snuck into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. Maria held it out close to the building’s corner, passing it to Ogawa.

“Do you expect something to happen?” Ogawa swiftly took the offered note.

“It’s too quiet recently.” Maria answered turning around. “We should be ready for anything.” With these words Maria walked away, leaving Ogawa face to face with uncertainty.

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Maria groaned angrily falling back onto her bed spreading her arms out to the sides. Less than twenty-four hours remained until the party started, but she still hadn’t chosen what she should wear for the occasion. Pulling some connections to get an invitation was much easier than deciding what would look appropriate and not overdone.

“What’s wrong, Maria?” Shirabe’s voice caught Maria’s attention, making her sit up and look to the doorframe her friends were standing at with curious looks on their faces.

“I can’t decide what I should wear.” She sighed helplessly. “Some dresses are too open… Others are too fancy... And not everything is fit to hide a weapon.” It was the short version of the real list of her concerns about clothing choices for the evening.

“Weapon? What kind of party is that?” Kirika raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“The one where everyone smiles to your face but secretly wants to see you dead. The usual one.” Maria shrugged absently.

“But you don’t need a weapon to kick some asses.” Kirika smirked. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Kiri-chan…” Shirabe pulled on Kirika’s sleeve at her choice of words. “I think something else bothers Maria here… Tsubasa-san will be there as well, won’t she?”

“Yeah.” It would be ridiculous to deny the obvious thing, revealing it in the end anyway.

“Then you should go in a suit!” Kirika jumped to the center of the room exited. “You’ll look cool in it. And if some mess starts, you could epically jump from a balcony and save Tsubasa-san!” She slightly bent one of her knees and took a strange pose, trying to display an epic landing born by her imagination. “And you won’t need to worry that someone will accidentally see your panties.” Kirika thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

“It’s hard to admit, but you may have a good point.” Maria crossed her arms over her chest and slightly frowned. The idea had its pros and cons, but was absolutely worth the consideration.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Romantic evening or a death party? There is no right answer."

The governor’s mansion was built outside of the city limits. Rumors said it was because the man liked to stay away from noise and enjoy nature, but the truth was that he hated to see commoners near his personal domain. The carriage stopped before a large marble stairway leading to the wide open front doors. Maria stepped out of the transport and looked around, fixing her black formal suit after a long ride. To be invited here meant you had to have a high status in society and be respected by the people in power. Only an echo of the past merits of her family allowed Maria to be here today. She was prepared to face the evil smiles and sharp tongues of smug nobles that would never pass up an opportunity to have fun around an almost forgotten name. However, all of this didn’t bother her. The nobles and their little games meant nothing.

Maria strode confidently up the stairs, donning the most charming smile as she noticed the governor himself, who was greeting all of the guests as they arrived. The man was quite old but hadn’t lost neither his proud posture nor respectable appearance. Maria remembered him from some events similar to this one that she had attended with her family, but she was merely a kid back then.

“Miss Eve.” The governor smiled brightly as soon as he noticed Maria approaching him. He waved his hands to the sides in a welcoming gesture, greeting her. Here ran the line between the common world and the twisted one.

“Greetings, governor.” Maria smiled, slightly bowing her head in respect.

“When I first heard you wanted to come I didn’t believe it. After the tragedy, you were never seen at any social event.” The man shook his head while closing his eyes. An expression of great sadness appeared on his face, but Maria knew better than to believe it. “It deeply pained me to know that the daughter of my old friends had become so closed off and unsociable.” Maria kept a placable smile, as she silently cursed the governor for his lies. After all, he was never a friend of her parents. “But I’m relieved. Seeing you here today brings me a genuine happiness.”

“Yes. I decided it’s finally time to get back to a normal life.” Maria’s melodic voice sounded smooth and held notes of joy and mild excitement, but all of it was fake. “And what could be a better moment for my great return than your spectacular event.”

“Indeed, Miss Eve.” The governor nodded approvingly. “Please enjoy the evening. I’m sure you’ll see many familiar faces today and they’ll be happy to meet with you again.” With these words the man guided Maria inside the mansion, continuing to mumble pompous nonsense which she ignored without a twinge of conscience. Her face soon began to hurt as she forced a polite smile towards every person on her way through the halls. The noise of countless talks between guests tortured her ears while the terrible mixture of smells had been doing the same to her nose. The bright fanciful decorations of each room was a real torment to her eyes. Tons of expensive metals, silk and marble were wasted to fulfill the governor’s love for luxury, but in the end it was all rather tasteless and pointless, yet no one dared to say the truth. Maria saw many familiar faces just as the governor had said, but she looked for the only one she wanted to see right now, the reason for her presence here.

“Maria-san, what a pleasant surprise.” Ogawa appeared near Maria out of nowhere, catching her off-guard. In the crowd Maria could hardly feel his presence. She turned to face him and got confused by the man’s appearance. He didn’t change his style of clothing and wore a common suit as he had before, but a pair of glasses were a newly added detail. Because of this small accessory, he managed to look like a completely different person.

“Nice to see you too, Ogawa-san. I didn’t expect to meet you here as well.” They exchanged a brief greeting, playing up a little accidental meeting scene for the public.

“May I steal a moment of your time?” Ogawa smiled inviting Maria to step aside from the main crowd and talk.

“Of course.” Maria nodded and followed him closer to the wall; there was some free space and it was far enough away from curious ears. “How is it going?” She asked lowering her voice when they finally got as much privacy as possible. 

“So far nothing extraordinary has happened.” Ogawa’s expression finally turned serious and he carefully looked around to examine their surroundings. He caught some curious eyes, but none of them could be perceived as dangerous. They were all directed at Maria but it didn’t seem to bother her at all. “We had a planned meeting with the governor and a few other nobles. Now we only need to spend some time here to show off the Kazanari presence.”

“And where is Tsubasa?” Maria looked at the man with a deep concern. Did he really let her stay alone here? She glanced at the hall again, hoping to notice the familiar blue tint of Tsubasa’s hair.

“The governor asked her a favor. I don’t know how he knew about it but…” Ogawa was ready to explain the situation but stopped when beautiful piano music spilled around the hall and the guests started to move closer to its source. “Maria-san, I think you should hurry and take the best place while you can.” He cheerfully winked at her and all of the sudden walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Maria stayed confused for a few seconds, but then headed in the same direction as all of the other guests, following Ogawa’s advice. She humphed in disappointment, thinking that the man should stay a bit more serious and not speak in riddles at such a moment. But all of her thoughts disappeared as soon as her gaze fell on Tsubasa standing near the piano with her eyes closed. A deep blue satin evening dress with a knee high side slit gently wrapped around her body, following her elegant forms and leaving her collarbones and back exposed. The hair pinned in an elegant fashion at the back of her head allowed to see her face and alluring neck without any obstacles. Maria didn’t notice that she was holding her breath until the burning feeling in her lungs reminded her that she needed to breathe. Her slightly widened eyes were locked onto Tsubasa, waiting in anticipation for her indigo eyes to open. Why was she standing there before this crowd of guests?

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Tsubasa arrived with Ogawa to the governor’s mansion several hours before the start of the party. They had to meet some people her father had asked them to. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss possible cooperation with the Kazanari clan in the future and to encourage mutual support. They needed allies and connections for some reason unknown to Tsubasa, but as an order she couldn’t question it. She had to fulfill the will of her father. These official meetings weren’t new to her; she had experience in those and was taught how to act and carry out negotiations, but yet it didn’t make it any less annoying. After long pointless talks and countless extravagant compliments to her personally and to her family, Tsubasa felt exhausted even though she still had duties to attend to. The most tedious but pleasant one was the request from the governor to honor him by performing for his guests.

Both Tsubasa and Ogawa didn’t have a clue how the man became aware of her skills in singing, but refusing would be equal to bringing dishonor to the Kazanari family and lowering its status in the eyes of foreign nobles. Tsubasa had no other choice but to agree. But still she loved to sing. Putting her true feelings into songs was the way for her to feel complete and whole. However, the atmosphere at the party cast doubts on her ability to relax and fully devote herself to the song. The unfamiliar faces didn’t bother her, but the way everyone here looked at her filled her chest with an uncomfortable feeling. Half of the guests devoured her with their eyes and the other half radiated contempt and disgust. Tsubasa might get her state under control, but the storm of emotions in her soul couldn’t be stopped so easily. Ogawa’s presence could help, but he had suddenly disappeared and Tsubasa found herself alone. She wished that someone she knew was here, as she stood near the piano with her eyes closed while she listened to the intro of the song that she had asked to play.

 _‘_ _If Maria was here…’_ This short thought appeared in Tsubasa's mind right before the moment she was to enter the song, so it remained unfinished. A soft voice filled the hall along with a touching piano melody as Tsubasa began to sing a piece that she had chosen. After a few lines of lyrics, a soft smile appeared on her lips and she opened her eyes to have a look at an audience to see their reactions. The stunned and pleased faces of the guests was the view she expected to see, but soon her calm gaze stopped on the suit-clad coral haired woman she could only dream to see here. Maria was here. Or was it only her imagination…? Her indigo eyes slightly widened, as they locked with turquoise ones, nevertheless Tsubasa continued to sing and didn’t miss even a single note. Her face relaxed and her smile became even warmer when she realized that she wasn’t imagining things. A pleasant soothing feeling filled her chest. Maria really was here. The rest of the crowd didn’t exist now; Tsubasa looked only at her.

Following the feelings conveyed through the lyrics, Tsubasa reached her hand in Maria’s direction and smiled while looking directly into her eyes. She then drew back the hand and pressed it to her chest in a gentle gesture, closing her eyes. She couldn’t explain what it was that she felt for Maria because she couldn’t even clearly understand these feelings herself, but maybe with the song she could express at least a part of it…

As the song began, Maria became lost in the moment. Seeing Tsubasa here in a simple and yet beautiful dress stole her sanity away and turned her heartbeat into a crazy thump wanting to beat out of her chest; but then Tsubasa’s voice completely stunned her mind. She didn’t notice when or how it happened, but Maria found that her eyes looked right into Tsubasa’s indigo ones, and she couldn’t see anything else around her.

Maria noticed the subtle surprise on Tsubasa’s face and became afraid that her presence was going to ruin the performance, but it didn’t happen. Tsubasa only gently smiled at her, continuing the lovely song and keeping her eyes fixed only on Maria. _‘Is she_ …’ Maria wanted to ask herself if Tsubasa was really singing to her now, but she couldn’t think rationally at all when Tsubasa’s hand reached out towards her. They were a fair distance away from each other, but yet it felt much closer. With her last rational thought, Maria restrained herself from reaching her hand out to Tsubasa in response. Why did it have to happen here? This damn party with the evil nobles and common sense standing between them like an invisible wall right now. A smile curved Maria’s lips up as the heat spilled from her heart, forcing her to raise her hand to her chest just as Tsubasa did a moment ago. Had she really fallen for Tsubasa? The answer was clear now and she wanted to stand near her and sing together with her, voicing this warm sensation in a song as well.

The magic of the moment disappeared awfully fast as the music ended and there were no more words left in the lyrics, leaving both women silently staring at each other while the rest of the guests burst into applause. Their connection was lost as some people moved closer to Tsubasa, surrounding her and attempting to engage her in useless conversation. Maria blinked, returning to reality as someone accidently hit her shoulder and blurted out a heartless apology, but she ignored them. Her thoughts now were only on Tsubasa and the fluttering feeling the song left in her chest. Why did it have to happen here, when each move was watched closely not only by common guests but also by possible Association members. Maria wasn’t afraid to become a target together with Tsubasa, but if this affection would be noticed, their foes could try and use it in the worst ways imaginable. The party slowly turned into a walk on thin ice.

Through a clearance between the men and women surrounding Tsubasa, Maria caught a glimpse of her face. Tsubasa smiled while talking to a man with a sly grin on his lips, yet she obviously felt uncomfortable as he leaned in closer. The desire to break the nose of this insolent man boiled in Maria, but sadly she couldn’t do it here. She headed over to Tsubasa, gracefully slipping between guests and deeply regretting that she had to keep it as civil as possible and not attract too much attention to the scene.

“That was a lovely performance, Tsubasa.” Maria approached so quickly that no one managed to notice how it had happened. She unobtrusively moved closer to Tsubasa, forcing the man to draw back. “I could sense such deep feelings behind this song. It touched my heart. The person you thought about when you were singing is a really lucky one.” A soft smile played on Maria’s lips, as she looked into Tsubasa’s eyes. Everything might be much easier if she could say how the song made her feel without dancing around the subject and playing with her words.

“Maria…” Tsubasa slightly flinched when Maria appeared as if out of nowhere, but relaxed right away as she was separated from the man who was unwelcome in her personal space. “I didn’t know you would be here…” She said shyly as her voice shook a bit and her cheeks flushed pink when she noticed the warmth in Maria’s eyes.

“Lady Eve, I see you haven’t changed at all.” The man couldn’t deal with the abrupt interruption and needed to regain his self-esteem. His manner of addressing Maria pointed out that he wasn’t from this country, but he seemed to have met her before. “Just as back then, you like to disrespectfully jump into someone’s conversation.”

“Do I know you?” Maria asked, turning to the man and looking at him with a glance full of contempt. Her eyebrow slightly twisted up, when she noticed how the man clinched his fist in anger while keeping a smile plastered on his face. “And as I’ve noticed it was rather a monologue, not a conversation.” She could swear that she heard a sound when he gritted his teeth. She cast a charming smile at the man and turned back to Tsubasa.

“I’ll let it slide. I’m not a cruel man.” The man sighed and waved his hand. “After all, acting like in old times probably makes you feel better. I will pray for you to find peace. But remember you can’t replace your little sister with other girls.”

“How dare you…” The anger flared in Tsubasa’s eyes immediately, as she heard the last word escape the bastard’s mouth. She was ready to grab his tie and at least give him a piece of her mind if she couldn’t throw him away, but Maria’s gentle touch on her shoulder stopped her.

“No need to be concerned about me.” Maria addressed the man again, keeping her voice cold and calm. “But I sure might pray for you to find your long lost dignity and manners. I heard it’s quite difficult to live without them.” She offered an indulgent smile, slightly nodding to the man, and then her attention once again was wholly directed at Tsubasa. “Tsubasa, will you accompany me? Fresh air would be very welcome.” She made a gesture, inviting Tsubasa to head towards the open double doors leading to the garden. Maria wanted to get away from the crowd and avoid further conversations that required controversial and intricate phrases. She knew all along that some of the people would try to play on her grief, but it was impossible to be ready for it. Pretending that the harsh words didn’t touch a single nerve required a lot of her willpower.

“Maria, will you really let it go?” Tsubasa asked as soon as they passed through the doorway and stopped near the porch railings. They were alone here. The sun had started to fall behind the horizon and the cold began to set in. Tsubasa crossed her arms over her chest, frowning as she looked at Maria with concern.

“I won’t give them the pleasure of seeing me hurt or losing my temper.” Maria weakly smiled at Tsubasa. The pride didn’t disappear from her voice even for a second. “He might have been one of the guys who tried to hit on Serena before.” She laughed quietly. She didn’t bother to remember all of them.

“I know it’s a different culture here, but it’s beyond everything I’ve ever seen. Do they have no honor at all?” Tsubasa glared at the hall full of people through the open doors. The desire to leave this place became only stronger, but the wish to show some of the guests their place appeared in addition to it. 

“Forget about it. I knew what I was stepping into.” Maria waved her hand, asking Tsubasa to let the situation go. “And it’s not worth it.” She looked at Tsubasa with a smirk on her lips, appreciating the view. The fury in her indigo eyes only added some more charm to her look.

“But what are you doing here?” Tsubasa’s voice trembled slightly and her blood rushed to her cheeks when she noticed the way Maria was looking at her. Embarrassment and anxiety appeared out of nowhere in a second, while her thoughts reminded her what Maria was saying before the interruption. Word by word she recalled all of it. Disappointment tightened in her chest as Tsubasa slowly breathed out, thinking that Maria didn’t get the meaning she hid in the song.

“I came here to stand by your side in this lair of hungry wolves.” Maria stepped away from the railing and moved closer to Tsubasa, stopping less than half a step away from her. “Ogawa-san is skilled, but I had to be sure nothing happened to you here.”

“I can take care of myself…” Tsubasa mumbled quietly, looking away, unable to look Maria in the eyes. Her heart bumped in her chest like crazy as she felt Maria’s presence so close to her.

“Of course you can.” Maria chuckled. “Especially when you are allowed to use brute strength and a cold attitude. But here it will ruin the impression of your family, won’t it?” She could guess as much after hearing about Tsubasa representing the Kazanari clan here. No matter what the plan was, they needed to look good in the eyes of foreign nobles for many different reasons. “And moreover, a gentle smile and a beautiful song from your heart suits you more. You enjoyed it, didn’t you?” The memory of the lovely moment once again filled Maria’s soul with warmth.

“I always loved to sing… But it’s not a suitable dream for a sentinel to pursue…” Tsubasa answered quietly, sheepishly returning her gaze to Maria. “And I rarely have a chance to do it nowadays.” She took a fortifying breath, trying to calm down, but it was so hard to do.

“Then I got lucky twice in a row, I would never forgive myself if I had missed it.” Maria whispered stepping closer to Tsubasa, almost not leaving any free space between them. “But it felt more like a private concert, even with all of these people around.” She carefully pressed her fingers to Tsubasa’s waist. One wrong word or action could scare Tsubasa away and she knew it, but she couldn’t resist the alluring temptation.

“I only…” All of the words disappeared from Tsubasa’s mind when Maria gently pulled her closer, slightly pressing their bodies together. Was she wrong in her conclusions earlier? If her indefinable feelings reached Maria, then what was she supposed to do now? A sudden bout of slight dizziness reminded Tsubasa that she shouldn’t hold her breath for too long.

“You know, I always loved to sing too.” Maria smiled, noticing the shyness and anticipation in Tsubasa’s indigo eyes. “We could make a nice duet...” She raised her free hand and touched Tsubasa’s cheek with her fingertips, sliding them to her chin and slightly pushing it up. “…And sing the whole night together…” Maria whispered, leaning closer. She already felt Tsubasa’s hot breath on her lips, when voices from the garden made the moment not so intimate. Tsubasa flinched and turned her head towards the source of the voices, leaving Maria with nothing else to do but curse under her breath.

A trio of women showed up from behind the thick bushes. The one in a light gray suit with a long jacket led them. Her long ash-grey hair flowed behind her as she quickened her pace. She had a deep frown on her face with her lips pressed into a thin line; this gave away her discontent with something. Behind her a curvaceous woman with light blue hair wearing an overly revealing dress struggled to keep up with her companion, complaining as she hurried to catch up with her. The third one looked much younger. Wearing a gothic lolita dress and with loose dark hair, she could be mistaken for someone’s daughter rather than a grown woman, but the glare of her eyes through her glasses would make anyone regret voicing such a suggestion it out loud.

“Come here.” Maria whispered, sliding her arm around Tsubasa and pulling her along in a shadow near the corner of the building. Her intention was to try to overhear what the women were talking about, and staying unnoticed would give them an advantage in this difficult task. From their position, they would only be able to see half of the stairs and remain hidden.

“You know them?” Tsubasa asked quietly, distracting herself from Maria’s hand pressed to the small of her back.

“The one in the jacket must be countess Saint-Germain. I’ve never seen her in person before.” Maria answered quietly, slightly lowering her head closer to Tsubasa’s ear. “Quite a mysterious person. Some people even believe she is several centuries old.” She laughed quietly at this ridiculous idea. “But there are hints about her being somehow involved with The Association. And the two with her must be countess Alessandra di Cagliostro and Françoise Prelati. They are known to be her close friends, but I don’t know who is who…” She wanted to explain a little more but the voices became clearer and she started to hear what the trio was talking about.

“…why can’t it wait ‘til the party is over? We deserve to have some fun too!” The curvaceous woman pouted, stopping right before the stairs leading to the mansion.

“We can’t waste time now. And it seems the party won’t last for much longer.” Saint-Germain didn’t even look at her companion, continuing up the stairs.

“Complaints won’t help the matter, Cagliostro.” The smallest one shook her head and followed Saint-Germain.

“Why do you both have to be so serious…” Cagliostro humphed, crossing her arms under her impressive breasts. Soon she noticed that her friends mercilessly ignored her and hurried to catch up with them.

When they almost reached the entrance, someone stepped in their way. Maria and Tsubasa couldn’t see who it was from their hiding place, but they heard how the steps stopped and one more person joined the conversation.

“Ah, you are here as well. Nice to finally meet you in person.” A complacent male voice reached Maria’s ears. “I’m looking for Adam. He asked me to meet him here.” Maria felt more uneasy with each word this man spoke. A sharp pain pierced her temple, forcing her to raise her hand and press her fingers to it. Concerned, Tsubasa opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but Maria stopped her, lowering her hand and pressing her pointer finger to her lips. They could give themselves away too easily.

“Go to the gazebo.” Saint-Germain answered shortly, passing by the man. Her companions did the same, not saying a single word.

“Thanks.” The man said in gratitude. His steps on the stairs soon fell silent, as he headed towards the same direction the women came from.

“Maria, what’s wrong? You are pale…” Tsubasa finally asked in panic. She looked at Maria. She didn’t know what to do and nervously waved her hands in the air, hesitating to touch the woman next to her.

“I recognize his voice.” Maria closed one eye, still rubbing her pained temple. “He was the man in a white coat.” The memories flashed through her head, causing some more pain, as her brain struggled to preserve her sanity by hiding the details. “I have to follow him.” Maria gritted her teeth holding back the rising rage. The man she had been looking for all these years was here, but yet she couldn’t confront him openly right now. He could lead them to the bigger fish and that’d be the key to the locker full of answers. “Wait here.” Maria’s words sounded like an order. She went around Tsubasa and looked at the receding silhouette, searching for a way to follow him unnoticed.

“I’m going with you.” Tsubasa stepped next to her. After Maria’s words she couldn’t let her go alone. More than that, the man was going to meet someone and that would mean Maria would be outnumbered. Yes, she was capable of dealing with more than one opponent, but she didn’t have to do it. Tsubasa wanted to go with her and face whatever would happen.

“I can’t stop you, right?” Maria asked with a sigh, receiving a nod as an answer. “But be careful, your dress isn’t the best outfit for spying.” Maria smirked playfully and hurried to shorten the distance between them and the target.

“Is that why you are in suit today?” Tsubasa easily caught up with her, moving gracefully and quickly, as if she was wearing most casual and comfortable clothes.

“I just didn’t know what kind of dress you would wear. I had to be sure we didn’t wear the same clothes. Otherwise, it would be scandalous.” Maria grinned, reaching out a hand for Tsubasa and offering assistance on her way down the stairs. Tsubasa smiled back, placing her hand into Maria’s.

They silently followed the man through the intricate walking paths of the garden while relying on Maria’s senses. As the gazebo came into view, the women stepped off the path and walked around a high hedge surrounding it. They moved carefully, watching where they stepped. The rustle of grass or the sudden crack of a fallen brunch could give away their presence. Maria knelt down near the hedge as they moved close enough to the gazebo, searching for a breach in the bushes. She soon found one that was just big enough to see through. She had to see the face of this man and the person he wanted to meet. This was the moment of truth.

Tsubasa lowered down on one knee near Maria, closing her eyes in attempt to sharpen her hearing. She laid a hand on the ground, slowing her breath and concentrating. The cool grass under her fingers helped to steady her senses and nerves. She didn’t know what to expect, but understood how important this moment could be.

“Good evening, Adam.” The same voice Maria and Tsubasa heard few minutes ago said in greeting. It belonged to a sinewy man in a white coat that looked more like a lab robe. From her position Maria could finally see his face. A contented smile played on his lips, as he raised his hand to fix his glasses and then run his fingers through his silver hair. 

“Oh, doctor Ver.” Another man in a fancy white suit answered carelessly, lazily laying on the gazebo bench with a white hat covering his face. “I assume you understand why I called you.” He took the hat off and sat up in a more or less straight but relaxed position. “I was really patient. But I still don’t see the things you promised me.”

“All is going according to my plan. Maybe a few unexpected circumstances… But even they can be useful.” The smile didn’t leave Ver’s face even after receiving such displeased words from this man called Adam. 

“I’ve wasted time, resources, money… All to give you everything you asked for. And now there isn’t even a clear confirmation that at least the first step of your genius plan worked.” Adam’s voice became unexpectedly domineering and strong, as he stood up, looking down at the other man. “You wanted to dig out some ancient tomb. We did it. You needed resources and personnel to examine the thing you found there. You got it. We even found out that the Eve family are the descendants of… whatever it was… And what for?” 

“The serum worked. Otherwise she would’ve been dead a long time ago.” Ver waved his hands at the sides, closing his eyes and shaking his head, as if he heard the most ridiculous thing in his life. “But she is playing a little detective, instead of embracing the power I granted her and accomplishing great things.” He sighed loudly to express his disappointment. “I only made a wrong bet on Nastassja. This damn disabled woman should’ve used her knowledge, not become a babysitter…”

“Enough of these stories.” Adam cut Ver’s speech off, splitting the air before him with a sharp gesture of his hand. “I still think that the younger sister would have been a better choice and could have been easy to control. Or we even could’ve used both of them.”

“She didn’t have the right spark! And we could take only one.” Ver frowned, piercing his opponent with a glare. “We got the right Eve, don’t question it. I just need to push her in the right direction.” He breathed out dreamily, looking at the sky. “Isn’t the fate a talented poet? It made me almost a god! I made the perfect Eve for Adam, and she will help us lead humanity to the prosperity. The ancient beasts can be defeated only by the same power. She just needs to understand what she is now...”

“Beautiful words, but I’m ready to give up on this plan. It was a mistake to join forces with you.” Adam rolled his eyes, watching the little spectacle Ver had been performing. “But I already set into motion my own idea.”

“Are you talking about Kazanari?” Ver laughed loudly, pressing fingers to his temple. “They sent you one girl and she even managed to ruin your own business. And you dare to judge me?!” 

“She didn’t really ruin anything.” Adam shrugged. “Some escaped slaves change nothing.” He fell silent, rubbing his chin. “But I heard one interesting thing. Your ‘Eve’ seems to be interested in that eastern girl...” He smirked.

“Yes…The way she looks at her…” Ver’s voice suddenly cracked into an angry growl. His eyes widened as the grimace of rage distorted his face. “How dare that girl distract my creation from its great purpose! She even came here tonight, because of her!” His knuckles became white, as he clinched his fists tightly.

“It’s not that bad.” Adam grinned slyly. “I wanted the Kazanari girl dead anyway. And since The Association will be the guilty party, it can motivate your precious Eve girl and the Kazanari clan to act.”

“When?” Ver looked at Adam with anticipation in his eyes. “I need to see it.”

“In a few hours.” Adam answered with a smile on his face after checking the watch on his wrist. “I wanted to get rid of a few nobles as well, they are plotting something. I don’t want to waste time discovering their goals. I need to corner the damn witch that takes control over The Association. Minor problems should disappear.” Adam waved his hand in a shooing gesture, lowering back down to the bench and yawning. “I think we are done for today.”

“Until next time then.” Ver politely bowed his head and turned around on his heels. He sauntered away, humming happily.

And all fell silent. Maria stood up and headed away. She didn’t care where she was going, she just wanted to get as far away from this place as possible. Everything she heard had ruthlessly turned her world upside down again. What kind of delusional story was it? She really was trapped in a twisted plan of a crazy man. Maria thought about it before, but she could hardly imagine something like this. More than that, she had heard about this doctor Ver. He was the one who monitored Nastassja’s condition and provided the rare medicine she needed. But there seemed to be something more going on between them. Did she make a mistake when she trusted Nastassja or the old woman was used blindly as well? Maria was asking herself so many questions at the moment, but as always there were no answers. She stopped only when trees and a stone fence blocked her way.

Tsubasa followed Maria, hesitating to say even a single word. Her own state was far from normal after overhearing the private conversation between the two men. Her family was dragged into their power game as a common pawn. Being used as a mere tool wasn’t new for her, yet this time it made her feel miserable. Now Tsubasa had to find Ogawa and try to prevent the disaster that was planned by Adam, but she couldn’t leave Maria right now. Nevertheless, Tsubasa didn’t know what to say or do to support her. But could she really help? The doubts snuck into her mind. Maybe she really was only holding Maria back.

“Damn it!” Maria shouted out, raising her face towards the night sky. She didn’t care if someone could hear her. It was the only way to let her irritation and fury out. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maybe it would be wise to catch Adam and force him to talk, but the moment was lost and she couldn’t find the mental power to do so. She needed to work through this new and unpleasant information. “Everything was just a part of that lunatic’s plan…” She laughed, pressing her palm to her face. “Descendants… power... ancient beasts… What kind of fairy tale is this?” She couldn’t deny the existence of creatures besides humans, but this was too much already. Did this delusional man really believe that an ancestor of her family was some kind of ancient vampire, or something else? “I wonder what will come next… The council of supernatural creatures running The Association?” She laughed quietly, lowering her shoulders in exhaustion.

“Maria…” Tsubasa carefully moved closer to Maria, raising a hand but still hesitating to touch her. Thoughts spun in her head as she looked for the right thing to do to calm Maria down. “We should warn everyone.” Concentrating on the important things was the only way Tsubasa knew how to deal with problems. Switching Maria’s attention to the future attack might help.

“You must leave, Tsubasa.” Maria took a deep breath, reminding herself that there was one important thing she forgot about. Tsubasa’s life still was at stake. They wanted her dead. A cold void appeared in Maria’s chest at these thoughts. She had feared this from the start, even tried to impede it, but in the end she couldn’t change it. “I’ll figure something out about the party.” She forced her voice to stay as calm as possible. “I’m going to find Ogawa-san and explain the situation to him.”

“I can’t leave. It’s my duty to protect the allies of the Kazanari family. They will be targeted.” The cold sound of her voice gave away Tsubasa’s determination to stay and fight. It would be merely a dishonor to run away and abandon the people whose safety she was entrusted with.

“You will be the main target.” Maria held back from yelling as irritation grew inside of her.

“I’m not afraid.” Tsubasa shook her head. She had a simple choice: stay here and at least fight for her life while maintaining honor or leave and accept death later as a punishment for disgracing the Kazanari name. “I do not wish to die, but I’m prepared to face death if it comes for me. I won’t run.” Her face stayed emotionless, as she said these words.

“For Gods’ sake…” Maria rolled her eyes. “Can you at least once think with your own head? Stop repeating this nonsense they taught you.” How was she supposed to protect someone who was willing to go straight into a death trap? Tsubasa’s absence could distract at least part of the foes and give her an opportunity to ruin the whole plan, but making Tsubasa leave or hide was the real challenge. “Please, leave…” A plea of desperation could be heard in Maria’s voice. She couldn’t come up with any reasonable arguments. Pain also appeared in her eyes, as the heavy feeling tightly squeezed her heart.

“But…” Tsubasa’s confidence staggered a little. Once again she was forced to question the rules and the ideals she had lived up to for her whole life. And Maria so desperately wanted her to leave, without any obvious reasons. Then it could only mean one thing, she was a hindrance. She couldn’t be of help for Maria because she would be only a distraction. “… Sorry for holding you back…” She mumbled, lowering her head and staring at the ground. “He was right...” She whispered uninhibitedly. “But I should fulfill my duty.” The empty and emotionless words escaped her lips as she raised her head and turned around, ready to head back to the mansion alone.

“Tsubasa…It’s not about that.” Maria caught Tsubasa by the wrist and looked at her with worry in her eyes, realizing what had just happened. “I really can’t figure out if you are dim-witted or just slow…” She chuckled, pulling Tsubasa closer and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “Even the crazy villains noticed my affection, but not you.” Maria tightly pressed Tsubasa to her chest, feeling her confusion. “I just can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt, or worse…” She slowly murmured into Tsubasa’s ear, slightly rubbing her back. “I’m not sure I can survive losing someone precious to me again…” Maria buried her nose into Tsubasa’s hair, closing her eyes. People said that difficulties only made you stronger, but even after passing through her darkest times, Maria felt so weak and helpless right now. She had admitted her weakness out loud. She just accepted her feelings and now everything could be taken from her again. The tantalizing fear to lose Tsubasa chained her body and soul. Timid arms wrapped around Maria’s waist, slightly taking her by surprise.

“Maria, I…” Tsubasa buried her face into the curve of Maria’s neck, clamming the fabric of her jacket in her fingers. She didn’t know what to say after this confession since it was something Tsubasa was completely unprepared for.

“Maybe I should explain it in your language…” Maria smiled, still feeling the hesitation from Tsubasa. “I oppose this philosophy, but if you insist on being the sword…” She put her hands on Tsubasa’s shoulders and gently pushed her away locking her turquoise eyes on the indigo ones before her. “There should be a hand to hold the sword and I want it to be mine.” She leaned closer, gently pressing her lips to Tsubasa’s in a lasting kiss.

They reluctantly parted as their lungs began to burn, begging for oxygen. Tsubasa looked at Maria with half-lidded eyes, slightly panting as her cheeks flushed red… The fancy way to explain things had worked, but she still didn’t know what to say or do now. She became flooded with even more conflicting emotions. How was she supposed to leave Maria to fight alone now? But at the same time, maybe she should do what Maria said…

“Isn’t a sword an extension of the arm?” Tsubasa found the courage to break the silence, but caught a puzzled gaze from Maria. “I’m trying to say…” She bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about the appropriate phrasing of her thoughts. “Won’t it be better if we do this together?” She looked at Maria with a plea and hope in her eyes. Tsubasa wanted to stay by her side. Last time they proved that they could act as one, and now it could become an advantage.

“Fine.” Maria shook her head and smiled, unable to resist the unfair tactic. “But we must act carefully…” From her previous experience, all parties usually followed the same pattern. The villainous plan had to be tied to something. She closed her eyes to focus on her thoughts. There had to be a way to look around while hiding the fact that they were aware of everything. A smug smile curved her lips as a nice idea came to her mind. “I know what we should do.” Maria snuck her hand up to Tsubasa’s hair and pulled out the hairpin that held it up. “If we are in the middle of all the attention, our foes can give themselves away.” She lowered her hand, running a finger down the back of Tsubasa’s neck. “But it is something neither the sentinel can do, nor the sword.”

“W-what is it?” Tsubasa asked with a shaking voice, feeling how a shiver ran down her spine. Mesmerized by the tender tone of Maria’s voice, she was ready to agree to anything. She tried to resist this stupefying feeling, but it was pointless.

“Dance with me, Tsubasa.” Maria said calmly while pushing a stray lock away from Tsubasa’s face. This plan was going to work, but only if Tsubasa could stay relaxed. If she were to be tense and on guard, it could look too suspicious. But Maria found the key to her a long time ago.

“If you insist…” Tsubasa murmured quietly, sheepishly looking away. The idea of Maria holding her before the eyes of so many people made her cheeks even more reddish.

“I do.” Maria smiled gleefully. “Let’s prove that we are good at ruining plans.”

This was a step towards the greater stage for them both. Maria clearly knew that after this party there would be no turning back. She wouldn’t be able to keep hiding. Whoever these men were and whatever they had planned, after this night they would know that she allied herself with the Kazanari clan and openly stepped into their game. Her calm daily routine wouldn’t exist anymore. But none of that mattered now. Sooner or later it was bound to happen, but with Tsubasa at her side, along with Shirabe and Kirika, it wasn’t all that terrible. Maria didn’t have to face it alone.

When they reached the mansion, they spotted twitchy Ogawa, who peered into the dark space of the garden. He saw Maria and Tsubasa leaving the main hall, but lost them the moment they left to spy on the suspicious man. When almost an hour had passed, he started to worry. Yes, Maria was with Tsubasa and she could protect her, but it was his duty to keep an eye on her. 

“Tsubasa-san, where have you been?” Ogawa rushed down the stairs, blocking the path of the two women. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, seeing the state of Tsubasa’s hair and the pink tint on her cheeks. His eyes then traveled over to Maria. Her amused expression confirmed his assumption. “You… don’t have to answer.” Feeling slightly embarrassed, he cleared his throat.

“It’s not what you think, Ogawa-san!” Tsubasa protested, feeling how the heat had rushed to her cheeks once again. “And we have a problem here.”

“Details later.” Maria intervened, seeing that this conversation might become a long one. “But an attack on all of your allies is planned for today. And Tsubasa is a target as well.”

“I can warn them, but if all of them try to leave at once, it will be suspicious.” Ogawa’s lips pressed into a thin line as he began to think about possible plans of action. “There are not many people we can really trust. And in total, maybe eight people who know how to handle a gun or a sword.”

“Better than nothing.” Maria shrugged. “I have an idea that will help us look around and distract some guests. Can you manage to help me detect any suspicious people?”

“Of course, but if there are too many, we can’t take on everyone at once.” Ogawa frowned, looking for the way to solve the problem.

“Just tell your allies to stay away from the crowd or something. Maybe lock at least some of them in a room for a fake meeting.” Little by little Maria grew tired of the amount of responsibility that fell on her all at once. Maybe if they had more time to discuss it they could come up with good idea, but right now everything was too hectic.

“Bring my sword, Ogawa-san.” Tsubasa coldly ordered, glaring at the man.

“Tsubasa, we discussed it….” Maria groaned. She didn’t want to have this talk again.

“It’s for an emergency situation.” Tsubasa passed by both of her companions and stepped onto the stairs. “We will do it your way, Maria. But if that doesn’t work I can’t just stay away.” 

“I will bring it at once, Tsubasa-san.” Ogawa respectfully bowed his head, after all, he was still bound to obey the orders of the Kazanari clan members. “Maria-san, I hope you know what you are doing. Please be careful.” He said quietly, stepping closer to Maria. He had to entrust Tsubasa’s life in her hands and to believe in her, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe Maria had proven to be reliable so far and that she cared for Tsubasa, but he had never seen her under any real pressure and didn’t know what to expect.

“I might not care about nobles who try to befriend you, but I won’t let anything happen to Tsubasa. Just believe in me and do your part.” Maria laid her hand on Ogawa’s shoulder, slightly squeezed it, and then followed Tsubasa. She could understand his concern, but the extra time to forge bonds was an impossible luxury right now. They had to learn to work together in a short amount of time and to completely trust each other with their lives.

When Tsubasa and Maria stepped into the main hall, they saw that the guests had freed up the central area. As Maria was expecting, everything had been prepared for the dancing part of the event. The musicians had already taken their places and were preparing their instruments to play.

“What now?” Tsubasa asked, moving a lock of her hair behind her ear. “How will a common dance help your idea?” She skeptically looked at Maria. After a short walk in the cold night air, she managed to calm down and regain control of her thoughts. Now thinking with the clear head, she realized that she didn’t understand the main idea of the plan.

“All we have to do is enjoy ourselves and keep our eyes open. Staying in the spotlight should be enough.” She smiled looking at Tsubasa. “Look, we’ve already caught some attention.” She chuckled to the slightly flushing Tsubasa, nodding to the small group of people who began to whisper to one another while looking at Tsubasa. 

“Quite intimidating…” Tsubasa answered quietly. She still couldn’t get used to the way everyone here looked at her. And now these gazes became even more unpleasant. Even while she was singing in front of an audience, she always felt excitement and joy from everyone, but here and now she felt a whole spectrum of negative emotions.

“Just forget about them. Imagine that we are alone here.” Maria lowered her head closer to Tsubasa’s ear and whispered. “But if you’ve changed your mind we still have a chance to retreat.” She felt how nervous Tsubasa became and didn’t want to push her if she wasn’t ready for this.

“No. I promised after all…” Tsubasa’s voice trembled as her cheeks flushed a deep red. She couldn’t say out loud that she actually wanted it, cursing herself deep inside her mind.

As music began to spread around the hall, there was no way back. Maria offered her hand to Tsubasa with a charming smile on her lips. A pink blush covered Tsubasa’s cheeks as she laid her hand into Maria’s and followed her closer towards the center of the hall. They both briefly looked around through the crowd of guests, but so far it was impossible to say who had a concealed motive.

“Will you mind if I lead?” Maria asked, ghosting her hand on Tsubasa’s waist and slightly pulling her closer.

“No, but only this time.” Tsubasa tried to keep her voice neutral and calm as she placed her hand on Maria’s shoulder, but it still trembled and betrayed her. Maria was the only person in many years who treated her like she was just Tsubasa, without the weight of the family name or her position. Even if she struggled to admit it, Tsubasa was genuinely happy to be here with Maria. As their feet slid across the floor in smooth motions, the fluttering in her belly grew stronger. Every time their thighs accidentally brushed against each other, Tsubasa’s heart skipped a beat or two. She almost forgot about their main objective as her serious gaze traveled to Maria’s smiling face, instantly losing the last piece of her cool attitude. Tsubasa instinctively looked away, blushing all the way to the tips of her ears, but then her expression tensed and her fingers tightly clamped onto Maria’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Maria whispered in a concerned manner, noticing the sudden change of mood. Her hold on Tsubasa’s waist also tightened, as she looked around the hall, searching for what had caused this tension in her partner. After another twist in their dance, Maria got the chance to see the hall from the same angle as Tsubasa did a moment ago. Everything became clear now. She spotted Doctor Ver in the far corner of the hall. He nervously bit the nail on his thumb, loathly glaring at them. He was waiting for something, impatiently checking the time on the nearby clock. Maria gritted her teeth, still trying to keep at least a neutral expression. “We need to catch him…”

“Calm down, Maria.” Tsubasa said with a surprisingly cold tone, “We have bigger problems.” She added, noticing signs from Ogawa. He and a few men rushed into the hall and looked around. “The party is over…” Tsubasa slowed down their movements and then stopped. Right as the music died, indignant voices filled the room.

“Yeah.” Maria stepped behind Tsubasa, pressing her back to hers as soon as she noticed several groups of men in formal suits surrounding them. She cast a glance at Doctor Ver, who looked excited and pleased as he watched the scene unfold.

“Ogawa-san!” Tsubasa’s strong commanding voice echoed through the hall, as she raised her hand to give signal to her companion. She easily caught the sheathed katana that was thrown to her by Ogawa, who had fulfilled her previous order and brought her sword here. “It was inevitable.” She murmured, drawing the sword and pointing it in the direction of the suspicious men. “How would you like your name to be written on your gravestone? You’d better tell me now.” She said impassively, glaring at them with steel in her eyes. Her gentle and delicate attitude disappeared completely, giving way to the sentinel within. More than that, Tsubasa lost her patience and her irritation took over. This annoying conspiracy and attempts on their lives had ruined the evening just when she began to enjoy it.

“You like to be dramatic, don’t you?” Maria chuckled while shaking her head, yet seeing Tsubasa like that caused a pleasant tension in her belly. However, this was not the time or place for such things. Gasping and whining, guests rushed towards the exit, pushing and knocking each other down when they saw the men draw out guns and knives in preparation for the impending fight.

“Stay still!” Ogawa’s voice emerged, followed by gunfire. Several of the men fell down to the floor, forcing the rest of them to rush forward. Taken by surprise, they lost their confidence as the frenzy visible in their eyes gave way to the absence of a backup plan.

Tsubasa dashed forward, blocking the path of one of the men. Two of the other foes aimed at Tsubasa as well, but became engaged in battle with Ogawa and Maria. The sound of gunshots and screams filled the hall along with the loud clinking of steel as more people from both sides joined in the battle. Bullets whistled above their heads as a sudden semidarkness fell over the room and glass from the main chandelier rained down with an annoying ringing. Amidst the chaos Maria saw in the corner of her eye that Ver was carefully moving closer to the exit with his back pressed against the wall. She couldn’t allow him to escape, not now when she just found out what he had done.

“Doctor Ver!” Maria exclaimed angrily, rushing forward and picking up a revolver, lost by someone in the heat of battle. She cocked the trigger, aiming at the man’s legs, succumbing to her wrath and ignoring everything else that was happening around. She needed him alive but not necessarily unharmed. The first shot landed right near his left leg, forcing him to jump back. Ver looked at Maria with the panic in his eyes but then smiled and rushed to the door.

“Maria!” Tsubasa called out, seeing that Maria’s back was completely exposed. One of the foes had already noticed it and was moving to take advantage of her state. But Tsubasa’s attempt to catch Maria’s attention failed and she had to run to her, cutting off the path of the attacker. “We’ll find him later!” She exclaimed, taking a defensive stance behind Maria.

“No.” Maria stated angrily, cocking the trigger again, but it was already too late to aim as Ver almost reached the exit. Maria hurried to follow him, tightly squeezing the revolver in her hand. She could still catch him if she was fast enough. Maria raised the gun and pulled the trigger one more time, hoping for a lucky shot.

A howl of pain escaped Ver’s throat as the bullet pierced his shoulder. He turned around to face Maria. “Not like that.” He mumbled as rage and hatred distorted his face, but in the next moment a smug smirk appeared when he pulled a round object from his pocket and threw it under Maria’s feet. He waived to her with his uninjured arm and slid out through the open door.

Maria’s eyes widened as she cursed loudly, scrambling to jump back from the doctor’s “gift.” She had only managed to move several steps away when a loud thunder-like blast drowned out all of the other sounds. The blast knocked Maria off her feet, leaving her on the floor with a terrible ringing in her ears. The was no pain though she felt like she had been hit by a train. The fight slowly died along with the last attacker.

“Maria!” Tsubasa ran to Maria and knelt down, catching her shoulders and not letting her fall back to the floor after a failed attempt to get up. “Are you alright?!” Tsubasa’s eyes widened in panic, as she looked over Maria’s body for blood or any other signs of injury, but there were none.

Maria opened her mouth to answer, but realized that she could barely hear what Tsubasa was saying. She shook her head trying to come back to her senses but the rumble in her ears wouldn’t disappear. She gritted her teeth, and with Tsubasa’s support, she finally managed to sit on the floor, pressing her palm to her forehead. “I’m fine. I was some kind of stun bomb…” She mumbled quietly, laying her hand over Tsubasa’s. She suddenly felt dizzy and wearily laid her head onto the sentinel’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“You are not.” Tsubasa slid one of her hands under Maria’s knees and placed another onto her back, raising her up. Maria hooked her arm around the sentinel’s neck, holding on as tight as she could in this state. “Take it easy.” Tsubasa whispered, lowering Maria onto a fancy couch in the far corner of the hall and knelt down next to her.

“Thank you…” Maria murmured and weakly smiled. Maria closed her eyes and felt Tsubasa’s gentle fingers running across her face, moving aside some of the curls of her hair. She wanted to feel better and to be able to enjoy this moment fully, but the slight spinning of her head made it quite difficult.

“Tsubasa-san…” Ogawa’s voice came quietly. He didn’t want to disturb them, but this situation required for some decisions to be made. “We managed to save all of our allies, but their guards suffered major losses. They wish to leave this place as soon as possible. All of the enemies have been eliminated and we have no one alive to interrogate…” He paused. “What should I report to your father?”

“We will need more people here.” Tsubasa answered calmly, though the slight tremble of her hand gave away her tension. “It’s more complicated than we thought. But let’s discuss it later, when we get out of here…” She still needed to explain to Ogawa the part about an evil plan that some man named Adam had, and how the Kazanari clan was involved, but it had to be discussed in private.

“I’ll find a carriage…” Ogawa nodded and silently left, leaving the two women alone.

“All went so wrong…” Finally feeling a bit better, Maria sat up, blinked and then rubbed the bridge of her nose. “If I managed to catch Doctor Ver… We could have gained a clue to everything… And after overhearing their conversation, I’m not even sure what I actually am…” She talked slowly, trying to gather all of her hectic thoughts together. At least she could still ask Nastassja a few questions. That had to be their next step, but it seemed they would need to take the woman under their protection for now, or they could lose her as a lead too.

“You are you, Maria.” Tsubasa shook her head, laying her palm on Maria’s knee. “The rest we will figure out somehow, even without him. For now, we should head home…”

“Yeah…” Maria agreed and nodded slightly. “You are welcome to stay at my house. Anyway, lying low will be hard and we all should stick together for now.” If they were to stay in one place, they might have a better chance at surviving and it would be much easier to discuss all of their future actions and plans without losing time on having to schedule meetings.

“Then we ‘ll go right there as soon as possible.” Tsubasa nodded approvingly. She couldn’t deny that it was a good idea. Having some sort of base would help immensely since a new chapter in the complicated confrontation suddenly began, taking the danger to the next level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... It is the end of the first part. I already have drafts for next chapters but I'm waiting for a proofs before posting them. To be honest I didn't decide yet how i should update it. Probably right after receiving the proofed copy of a chapter.  
> I think at this point some people already understand where it's going, but I believe it still will be interesting to read further. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm happy if at least several persons enjoyed this story so far, that's enough for me. Thank you for reading.  
> If there is no updates for too long, you can ask me directly what's going on, I left few links in my profile. But I assure you I won't abandon it without good reason.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The future is too unpredictable. Every action has consequences."

As the main door of the house opened with a slight creak, Kirika and Shirabe instantly jumped off the couch. From the moment Maria left, they had felt uneasy and worried. They knew enough to understand how dangerous that event could be and all of Maria’s attempts to convince them that everything would be fine were pointless and didn’t have any effect. In the end, both girls were not able to sleep this night, spending their time in the living room and counting the passing hours. They expected Maria to come back at least a few hours after midnight, but it was already dawn and they were still alone in the quiet house. When the sound of a key turning in a lock finally broke the heavy silence, they looked at each other and in a few moments were already standing in the hall across from the door. 

“Welcome back!” Kirika exclaimed happily, but her expression changed as soon as she noticed Tsubasa behind her friend and some man that they hadn’t seen before. All three of them looked quite exhausted and the state of their clothing pointed out that the party didn’t end well. Kirika rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Maria, almost knocking her off her feet. “Maria!” The emotions took her over as she realized that at least half of their terrible expectations were not as pointless as they wanted them to be. Something serious happened and they were not there to help.

“Are you unharmed?” Shirabe ran closer to them and looked at Maria with worry in her eyes. Then she looked at Tsubasa who definitely felt a bit uncomfortable at the moment, and then glanced at the man who weakly smiled back at her. Maybe she wasn’t really good at reading people, but right now it was obvious that all three of them were deeply troubled. 

“I’m fine.” Maria answered softly, running her hand through Kirika’s hair. She didn’t want to worry them too much, but it was inevitable in this situation. “I’ll explain everything, but let’s not talk in the doorway.” The conversation was going to be a long and tense one, and dealing with it while sitting in a comfortable armchair would be much easier. 

When Shirabe and Kirika persistently dragged Maria along to the living room, she only managed to glance briefly at Tsubasa and Ogawa over her shoulder. The two of them were quietly discussing something with serious expressions on their faces and, after a few words from Tsubasa, Ogawa nodded and left, closing the door behind himself. 

“Ogawa-san needs a break too.” Maria said with a sigh when Tsubasa joined them in the living room. “Or is there something urgent?” The expression on the sentinel’s face was so serious that it had to be something really important that couldn’t wait until later. 

“In this situation I can’t leave my belongings behind. He will gather everything for me and bring it here.” Tsubasa looked at the couch searching for a place to sit. But there was no free spot for her since Kirika and Shirabe occupied both spaces next to Maria, one on each side. That left Tsubasa no alternative but to sit alone in the armchair across from the coffee table. 

“In other words you don’t want the Association to see your stuff…” Maria chuckled raising her hand to her lips. “The state of your room is certainly classified information that the enemy should never know.” It would be interesting to see the reaction of the agents who could be sent to search through Tsubasa’s things at the sight of the mess in her room. 

“There are some important documents.” Tsubasa answered with a quiet humph and crossed her arms over her chest, yet slightly blushed. She knew Maria wouldn’t buy it, but she had to at least try to save face before the younger girls. “And I need my clothes…” She was still wearing her evening dress, which was left slightly shabby after the fight, and an opportunity to change into something more comfortable would be much appreciated. 

“I’ll lend you some of mine again.” Maria only shrugged in response, after all it wasn’t such a big problem. She leaned on the back of the couch, relaxing and enjoying the pleasant softness of the material.

“But I can’t go outside in your clothes.” Tsubasa mumbled and timidly looked away as her cheeks flushed red. “It’s… a bit loose at some parts for me.” They couldn’t afford to sit on their hands and do nothing now. They had to arrange some meetings as soon as possible and Tsubasa couldn’t attend in Maria’s clothing for many reasons. 

“Right…” Maria cleared her throat trying to keep a neutral expression. Of course she didn’t expect Tsubasa to wear her clothes all the time, but still, such an open mention of the difference in size appeared to be quite embarrassing. 

“Maria could be a good succubus rather than a vampire.” Kirika giggled, ruining the awkward silence but yet making the moment even more embarrassing. 

The conversation slowly drifted too far away from the original topic and all of the tension and serious mood were cast away, distracting everyone from their heavy thoughts. However, it was impossible to avoid the talk about the night’s events. Tsubasa kept silent while letting Maria tell the story with all of the details. She wasn’t the best storyteller and some parts only Maria could explain, since it was deeply tied to her past and present. When it came to Doctor Ver and his role in the whole story, Tsubasa slightly gritted her teeth, holding back her newly appeared anger and chagrin about his escape. That man had to pay for what he did, but most of all he was the only one who could tell them what everything was all about in the first place. Tsubasa raised her eyes and looked at Kirika and then at Shirabe. Both of them were almost in the same state that she was. They listened to Maria with a darkened expression over their faces, clenching their fists to hold back all rageful comments that clearly appeared in their heads. When Maria fell silent, they both tightly hugged her, burying their faces in Maria’s shoulders and quietly sniffing. Unable to do anything else, Tsubasa clamped her fingers onto her forearms. 

“We will catch him and…and…!” Kirika groaned and crossly ruffled her hair with both hands, looking for the best punishment that Ver deserved. “I don’t know yet what we will do, but he will deeply regret doing all that he did!” She bounced from the couch. “And this Adam too. We will get all of them!” She clenched her fists with determination in her eyes, as if she was ready to start the mission right away. “Where does he live?” She asked a bit confused, realizing that she had no idea where to start.

“Kiri-chan…” Shirabe shook her head. She felt the same way and was ready to follow Kirika, but it certainly wasn’t that simple and they hadn’t slept the whole night.

“Calm down, Akatsuki.” Tsubasa said calmly. She admitted that this enthusiasm was meritorious, but at the moment they had a bigger problem to solve before trying to hunt down the runaway doctor. 

“How can you be so cold, Tsubasa-san?” Kirika turned to Tsubasa, touchily glaring at her. “How can I stay calm?! That man hurt Maria...! Not just hurt… they…” She clenched her teeth tightly and little tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. Shirabe stood up from the couch and took Kirika’s hand, squeezing it between hers. 

“I know how you feel.” Tsubasa lowered her head, taking a deep breath. She would like to find everyone involved in this weird conspiracy as well and serve them justice, but she had to set an example and keep thinking rationally. “We can’t afford to be reckless now.” She glanced at Kirika and got up off the armchair. Without saying a word, Tsubasa headed to the door and left the room, feeling that her presence would only make everything more complicated right now. If someone could calm Kirika and Shirabe down it was Maria and maybe some privacy could help. 

Maria watched Tsubasa leave in silence, clamping the edge of the couch between her fingers. She could tell how upset Tsubasa was only by looking at her strained posture, but Maria couldn’t go after her right now. The tearing pain in her heart appeared from nowhere as she faced a hard choice; on the one hand, she wanted to follow Tsubasa and talk to her, on the other, before her was Kirika who desperately tried to hold tears back. How did it come to this? 

“Don’t worry. We will deal with all that.” Maria said softly as she stood up and moved closer to Kirika and Shirabe. She wrapped her arms around both girls, enveloping them in a warm hug. 

“But now you should tell us everything.” Shirabe looked up at Maria slightly frowning. Her serious tone didn’t leave any space for arguing. 

“Shirabe is right.” Kirika mumbled, rubbing her cheek on Maria’s shoulder. “I’m so tired of feeling helpless and useless. We don’t want to stay behind.” 

“I’m sorry.” Maria quietly apologized, slowly rubbing her hands on the girls’ shoulders. “From now on I will tell you everything and ask for help when I need it.” She knew how they felt but still the fear of losing them had always been forcing her to leave them out of her problems. Yes, she hurt their feelings this way and it was wrong, but they were safe and could enjoy their calm days. But now came the moment to change everything. “But you two have to promise me that you won’t do anything reckless. We all need to work together and support each other.”

“We promise!” Considerably cheered up, Kirika exclaimed happily, smiling up at Maria. That was what she wanted and the sparkles in Shirabe’s eyes showed her that she wasn’t alone in this. 

“But... What about Tsubasa-san?” Shirabe asked carefully. The recent conversation with Tsubasa was rather unpleasant for them and if that woman couldn’t understand them it would be hard to work together with her. She seemed not to care much about the whole situation and even left not wanting to continue the conversation.

“Don’t be mad at her.” Maria sighed sadly. Of course Tsubasa’s actions and cold attitude pushed both girls away since they didn’t know her better. “She is just frustrated after everything that has happened.” Maria lowered her head and whispered the biggest secret of the evening. “She might try to hide it but she really cares a lot.” She chuckled at the sight of surprise on the faces of the girls in her arms.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Kirika raised her eyebrow and grinned. “We will give her a chance or two then. Right, Shirabe?” Shirabe confidently nodded in answer, supporting her partner's words. They were ready to do anything, even befriend a cold and grumpy woman if it was important to Maria. Anyway, it couldn’t be that big of a challenge, right? 

“Thank you.” Maria smiled softly at them. “Now you should go to bed. You need to rest if you are so eager to go to the front lines.” She released them from the hug, slightly pushing them towards the door. 

“You should get some sleep too, Maria.” Shirabe protested as they realized that Maria was not going to follow them just yet. 

“I need to make sure that our guests have everything they need.” Maria shook her head, smiling weakly. A few minutes ago she heard some muffled steps and felt Ogawa’s presence. The man had returned from his short mission, but was certainly too polite to interrupt their private moment. She had to check up on Tsubasa as well, to make sure she didn’t jump to strange conclusions again. As always, all of the small everyday problems fell on her shoulders. “It won’t take long, I promise.” 

As soon as Kirika and Shirabe went up the stairs and their steps fell silent, Maria headed to the kitchen; it was the only place where Tsubasa and Ogawa could be at the moment. She moved quietly and soon her ears caught pieces of the conversation her two guests were having. Eavesdropping wasn’t her intention but she could do nothing about that. 

“…We need everyone here! It’s beyond political games already.” Tsubasa’s voice was full of irritation and she tried to lower it but yet she was too close to yelling. 

“Tsubasa-san. It’s not that simple, you know that.” Ogawa tried to calm her down and be a voice of reason, but he had a hard time doing it. 

“Of course my authority is not enough… But there should be something to convince them.” As Maria moved closer, a smacking sound reached her ears. She could only guess, but it seemed that Tsubasa had hit the table desperately looking for the solution. “If nothing else works then tell him I’ll agree to any terms…” She sounded defeated but still determined. 

_‘Tsubasa…’_ Maria thought to herself, laying her hand on the wall near the door frame. There was something happening beyond her understanding but Tsubasa was willing to go far in this matter. What did she want to accomplish by ignoring the price? 

“I will do all I can. It shouldn’t come to that.” Ogawa answered confidently. 

“Thank you, Ogawa-san…” Tsubasa’s words signaled the end of the conversation and Ogawa’s steps began moving to the door, where Maria involuntarily hid. 

“Ogawa-san, you are back already...” Maria tried to look surprised as she faced the man, but something was telling her that she couldn’t fool him that easily. She wasn’t ready for a long conversation with Ogawa but there was a good excuse to slide to the other topic. “I’m sorry, there are no free rooms left. If you don’t mind you can sleep on the couch in the living room.” 

“It’s not a problem, Maria-san.” Ogawa smiled at her. “Now excuse me. I should take your offer and rest a bit. Good night.” He politely bowed, nodded and left Maria alone with her thoughts. 

It was too quiet now. Tsubasa didn’t want to leave the kitchen just yet, finding it rather calming and relaxing to stay here in the half-darkness alone. She sat at the table, put her elbows on it and laid her chin on her knuckles, looking out of the window. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that Maria approached her and flinched in surprise as she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. 

“How are you?” Maria asked softly as Tsubasa turned her head and looked up at her. She could see exhaustion in the indigo eyes and it caused a slight ache in her chest. 

“Desperate.” Tsubasa answered honestly, unable to lie while looking into Maria’s turquoise eyes. “We should act, and fast, but all I can do is send requests. The three of us can do as much.” She shook her head in frustration.

“Five.” Maria smiled weakly. “There are five of us.”

“Do you really want Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi to be involved? It will be dangerous and Ver knows they are your close friends… He seems to know a lot…” Tsubasa frowned deeply. That insane doctor watched over Maria all these years, or at least long enough to know the details of her life. His plan involved killing people important to Maria and the two girls were on this list for sure. 

“There is no way they’ll stay aside now. And it’s better that we give them tasks, otherwise they’ll come up with their own ideas.” Maria sat in the chair next to Tsubasa and thoughtfully looked at the ceiling. “But anyway, don’t try to solve all of this at once.” She lowered her gaze and peered into Tsubasa’s face. “I accidentally heard part of your conversation with Ogawa-san. Whatever you are trying to do, don’t rush it. We can do it without any sacrifices.” Maria tried to approach this carefully. The idea that Tsubasa might agree to something terrible in exchange for support was rather terrifying. After everything that Maria already knew about the Kazanari clan, the cost could be really high.

“I want them to send our best squad here.” Tsubasa clenched her fist and lowered her head. “We need more people and an organized team. We are fighting the big organization after all.” How could Maria stay calm and collected under all of this pressure and still be able to deal with others, calming them down? She was strong and confident in Tsubasa’s eyes. She had to do at least something not to feel completely useless. “I can’t stop thinking about it…”

“Let’s leave this for later.” Maria laid her hand on Tsubasa’s fist, feeling how it relaxed a bit under her touch. This was going nowhere and fatigue was making it worse, killing the ability to think clearly. They all had to rest, struggling over the problem won’t bring them anywhere. “Can you stay with me tonight?” Maria asked all of the sudden, smiling softly. “Just sleep together, nothing else.” She chuckled as Tsubasa’s eyes became wide and a red tint darkened her cheeks. “I might have nightmares after today.” Her voice came out quiet and with sad notes. Sometimes the events of the night from five years ago tortured her as nightmares and the day full of reminders about it could bring them again. She could lie to herself and run from it, but there still were weaknesses that she couldn’t overcome, the things she couldn’t control. She felt broken inside and was afraid to think about Ver and his motives, about the reasons for her existence and nature of it. Maybe it would be better to leave things uncovered. She needed an anchor right now more than ever. 

“Of course…” Tsubasa answered timidly and her voice slightly shook. The heart in her chest thumped faster as Maria gratefully smiled at her and suggested to go to her room. She couldn’t believe that she agreed so easily, but at the same time she felt unexpectedly happy. Then a slight panic hit her. What if she would do something strange and embarrassing in her sleep? Maybe after everything it was a bad idea, but there was no turning back as they stopped near the door to Maria’s room. 

“Um…” A confused sound escaped Maria as she opened the door. She didn’t move an inch and instead peered at something in her room with an unreadable expression on her face. 

“What’s wrong?” Tsubasa immediately tensed and took a step closer, intending to have a look at the thing that left Maria speechless. She expected to see something really unusual or terrifying but as soon as she looked over Maria’s shoulder, a quiet chuckle escaped her lips. Kirika and Shirabe were peacefully sleeping on the large bed, holding each other’s hands. “You already have a company for the night.” 

“I could have foreseen it…” Maria raised her hand and pressed her fingers right above her eyebrow. Of course they thought that Maria wouldn’t want to be alone tonight and waited for her as they did many times before, but this time it led to an awkward situation. The bed in the guest room was too small for two people and going with Tsubasa to the girls’ room was simply wrong… But when she looked at Tsubasa, her thoughts disappeared right away at the rare sight of the sincerely laughing sentinel. 

“I can’t compete with them.” Tsubasa shook her head smiling. There were no bad feelings, they went ahead of her and had won fairly. She couldn’t argue with that. “They will be upset if you won’t join them.” She would like to stay with Maria, but stealing her from these nice girls was a rather dishonorable move. Maria would be safe and in good hands with them around. It was enough for Tsubasa to feel at peace. 

“Sorry…” Maria could only apologize for the sudden change of plans. She felt how excited Tsubasa was when she asked her to stay with her and she wanted it as well, but all of it turned upside down. Maria turned around but instantly froze in place as Tsubasa leaned closer to her. It was so unexpected that her heart stuttered. She could feel how their breath mingled when Tsubasa’s lips were an inch away from hers. Maria slowly gulped, slightly parting her lips in anticipation. Such a bold action coming from the shy and closed-off sentinel sent a pleasant shiver through Maria’s body. Tsubasa overcame all of that for her. Then Maria felt the soft pressure of Tsubasa’s lips on her cheek, close to the corner of her lips.

“Sleep well, Maria.” Tsubasa whispered timidly, looking in Maria’s eyes, as a red color crawled up her cheeks. At the last moment, her anxiety defeated her determination and she didn’t manage to do what she wished to… One look at Maria’s face and her turquoise eyes left her unable to move or act properly. Why was it still so difficult? In her mind she groaned, blaming herself for being a coward unworthy to be called a sentinel. 

Maria blinked, returning to reality and softly smiled. “You too, Tsubasa.” It could be called a childish action, but still it felt lovely and pleasant, kindling the warmest feeling inside Maria’s chest. When Tsubasa headed to the guest room, Maria raised her hand to her face and gently ran her fingers over the spot where the soft lips were just a moment ago.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The endless darkness surrounded her. There was nothing else, not even a single soul. Maria opened her mouth but no sound came out. _‘A dream, huh…’_ She thought. _‘Why is it so hard to breathe…?’_ She felt some heavy weight on her chest. Her body felt numb and was close to reaching its limit. _‘Ugh…I’m panting…’_

“Kiri-chan, let her go!” A panicked voice pulled Maria out of the empty land of dreams. She finally opened her eyes still feeling the burning in her lungs along with the weight on her chest, but there was also something warm tightly wrapped around her waist. She carefully tried to move, but as a result she only got squeezed tighter. Slightly raising her head up from the pillow, Maria looked down, trying to figure out what was going on. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as her gaze fell on Kirika, who was clinging to Maria in her sleep while resting her head on Maria’s chest. “Kiri-chan…” Shirabe sat beside them and tried to shake Kirika’s shoulders to wake her up, but she only got slurred mumbling in response. 

“It’s fine.” Maria smiled and ran her fingers through Kirika’s hair. She couldn’t be mad at such a situation. 

“But you can hardly breathe.” Shirabe looked at Maria with worry in her eyes, continuing her attempts to wake Kirika up. “And she is drooling already… Kiri-chan!” She exclaimed loudly, as Kirika began to mumble about soft and tasty buns. 

“Whoa!” Kirika jumped up at the loud yelling, looking around in panic. “What’s going on?!” She asked as she noticed a laughing Maria beneath her and then caught Shirabe’s glare. “Ahaha…ha… I did it again, didn’t I?” Both of her friends instantly nodded in response. 

Abruptly, the door slammed open and Tsubasa appeared in the door frame with a hand on her katana’s hilt. Her serious expression and tense posture showed that she was ready to face some terrible threat. 

“What is this yelling about?” Tsubasa asked as she explored the room with her eyes. She relaxed a little when she didn’t find anything unusual around and was left quite puzzled. “Sorry. I’ve got it wrong.” She apologized and cleared her throat as everyone began to laugh. 

“Good morning, Tsubasa.” Maria sat up on the bed and softly smiled at the brave sentinel. Even if it was only a misunderstanding, Tsubasa had rushed here to protect them and it felt nice. 

“Morning.” Tsubasa smiled back at Maria, but suddenly her eyes widened and she immediately averted her gaze, feeling the heat under her collar. All of her determination faded once again as she faced Maria and noticed the state of her night shirt that went slightly astray during the night, revealing more than it should. “But… it’s a bit past noon.” She mumbled turning away to hide her brightly flushing cheeks, “I’ll… Be downstairs.” Her attempt to make her voice sound neutral failed miserably and all she could do was just leave. She nervously grabbed the door’s edge and pulled, closing it behind herself. The silence lingered in the room.

“What was that?” Kirika asked, raising one eyebrow up. She was genuinely puzzled. Everything happened so fast that she didn’t manage to process through the whole situation at once.

“I think she thought we were in danger…” Shirabe tilted her head to the side and looked at Maria. “And then… Ran away?” 

“Well…” Maria insensibly fixed her shirt with a fast movement of her hand, realizing what could’ve caused such a reaction. “Let’s get up.” She hurried to change the topic while it didn’t go too far. “We have a lot to do today.” She added getting off the bed. 

Half an hour later the trio finally came downstairs. All three were in a good mood, happily chatting about small things. The first thing Maria noticed was the fact that Ogawa wasn’t there. The man seemed to be working twenty-four hours per day and each moment was devoted to his job. It was frankly impressive but at the same time a bit terrifying; she was glad that he was on their side. 

“I hope we have something for breakfast… Or is it lunch already?” Kirika rubbed the back of her head, trying to figure out what it should be called at this part of the day. “But it doesn't matter what it’s called… It won’t make me any less hungry.” She whined plaintively, pressing her palms to her rumbling stomach.

“I’ll make something for you, Kiri-chan.” Shirabe smiled and pulled Kirika to the kitchen, leaving Maria alone in the hall. 

Maria quietly laughed. She was happy to see that things had turned back to normal pretty fast and the gloomy atmosphere didn’t stay for long, but there was still a slight tension in the air and she could guess what the source of it was. A brief glance into the living room immediately confirmed her guess. Tsubasa was sitting there on the couch with her hands crossed over her chest and her eyes closed. The somber expression on her face and slight twitching of her eyebrows were a sign of serious inner monologues. The extraordinary appearance earlier seemed to affect the sentinel, and not in the best possible way. Maria sighed, rolling her eyes and carefully slinked closer to Tsubasa, trying not to distract her from the important conversation she was having with herself. 

_‘What a shameful performance. Overreacting like that was unacceptable. And breaking into someone’s room might be considered rude…’_ Tsubasa frowned and bit the inside of her cheek, while she mentally scolded herself for her hasty actions. Of course she got worried when she heard some strange yelling while passing by Maria’s room and had to react, but not like that. On the other hand, what if there was real danger? _‘Did I stare at…? I don’t remember.’_ She crossly grunted and at the same moment felt a slight flick on her forehead which kicked her back to reality. Tsubasa instantly opened her eyes and flinched. 

“Stop doing that, Maria.” Tsubasa beseeched, rubbing her forehead. It wasn’t painful at all but it was unpleasant, not to mention that once again the flick came unnoticed and it was rather humiliating for the sentinel. 

“But it works so well.” Maria chuckled, enjoying the cute expression Tsubasa made. 

“But this time I deserved it for breaking into your room.” Tsubasa slightly lowered her head ready to apologize one more time. “If that’s the punishment then go ahead…” 

“It was for overthinking things again.” Maria said with a serious tone. “But if you are so eager to be punished…” She laid her hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder and pushed her backwards, pinning her to the couch’s backrest. Maria contentedly smirked, noticing the confusion in Tsubasa’s eyes, as she pressed her knee into the couch between sentinel’s thighs. She could feel the increasing heat of Tsubasa’s body along with her raising heartbeat. “I might forgive you in exchange for a treat…” Maria lowered her head and softly whispered into Tsubasa’s ear, almost touching it with her lips. 

Mesmerized by Maria’s tender voice and the sensation of warm breath on her ear, Tsubasa couldn’t move a single muscle. The languid desire grew within her, as she felt the faint and teasing stroke of Maria’s fingers down her neck. She opened her mouth to answer, but found herself unable to speak properly as Maria’s knee touched the inner side of her thigh.

“I… We… We didn’t peep or anything!” Came a confused voice full of panic. “But can you please do it somewhere else…” 

Maria released her grip on Tsubasa’s shoulder and straightened up. Covering her mouth with her hand and clearing her throat, she tried to look calm and impassive, but her cheeks had betrayed her, slightly flushing red. She planned to only tease Tsubasa, but quickly got carried away and didn’t even notice how Kirika and Shirabe came in.

As soon as she snapped back to her senses, Tsubasa laid one of her legs over the other and crossed her hands over her chest, turning her bright red face away. She slowly breathed in and out, trying to calm down her pounding heart. However, deep inside she felt disappointed that they were interrupted.

Awkward silence expectedly hung in the room. 

The situation was saved by the sudden sound of the opening back door, followed by even footsteps in the hall. It was Ogawa, who had returned after completing some of the most important tasks that only he could do. He stepped into the living room with a smile on his lips, but it faded away immediately as he looked around and felt the strange mood engrossing everyone in there. 

“Did something happen?” Ogawa asked carefully, peering at each of the present women and reading their body language. Without a clear answer he could only figure out that whatever occurred wasn’t something dangerous or bad. 

“It’s classified.” Shirabe was the one who answered the question since no one else dared to open their mouth. They still didn’t know this man well enough and she didn’t trust him, especially with such a delicate matter as Maria’s love life. Shirabe briefly glared at him and headed to the pair of armchairs near the window, pulling Kirika along. 

“I see…” Ogawa laughed bewildered, rubbing the nape of his neck. “Anyway, Tsubasa-san, I did what you asked yesterday. Also…I finally finished with the notebook you gave me the other day. The cipher appeared to be easier than I thought but we will need a scientist to interpret this text correctly.” 

“Then we can kill two birds with one stone, I planned to pay a visit to one today.” Maria pinched her chin between her fingers. She almost forgot about this notebook, the one that Tsubasa got from a killed man, though she now wondered what could be in it and if it might be connected to everything they already know. 

“You are right, Maria-san. I thought about showing it to the professor too. It seems not to be too far from her field of expertise.” Ogawa nodded, immediately catching the meaning behind Maria’s words.

“Professor?” Tsubasa hardly could understand what they were talking about now. These two already had mutual contacts and were obviously working together behind her back. 

“Professor Nastassja.” Ogawa nodded. “Maria-san told me how to find her. But she is a tough woman to deal with.” He sighed. “She agreed to help but I think she can change her mind at any moment.” 

“First of all she should explain to me her businesses with Dr. Ver. And why she never told me about that before.” Maria frowned, lightly gritting her teeth as a sudden wave of anger flew through her mind. She trusted Nastassja as if she were part of her family but all of this time the woman was hiding the truth from her, providing only small amounts of information. There had to be a good reason behind it. 

“Are you sure she is the one he mentioned?” Maria seemed to be sure about it but Tsubasa had some doubts. There could be many people with the same name after all.

“He is monitoring her state as a doctor.” Maria shook her head. She would like to believe in a coincidence, but it was clear as day that the doctor and the professor were involved together. “And she worked for the Association before. I can only hope she wasn’t the one who invented this damn serum.” Maria laughed sadly, preparing herself to face the worst possible outcome. 

“We are going with you.” Shirabe and Kirika said in unison, jumping up from their seats. From now on they wished to be a part of every meeting Maria had and, of course, to join the real action if it was needed. This visit didn’t promise to be dangerous but considering the topic that would be discussed, their support might come in handy.

“I suppose it won’t hurt if we all go.” Maria said carefully. Such a crowd could make things a bit complicated, but it would be for the best to stay together so they wouldn’t be caught off guard one by one. If Ver was eager to push Maria in the right direction by taking away the people important to her, then Kirika and Shirabe would be targeted as well. Leaving them alone might be the worst mistake and Maria didn’t want to make it. 

“Then get ready, everyone. We are leaving in ten minutes.” Tsubasa pronounced seriously and officially, standing up. Then she looked at everyone seeking confirmation that her words had been heard. 

“Tsubasa-san… It’s a bit…” Ogawa looked for the right words, but hesitated to say more.

“It’s like we are officially on the mission now.” Kirika’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at Shirabe with a bright grin.

“You all are too excited about it…” Maria shook her head, pressing her fingers to her temple. Why did no one even question Tsubasa’s right to be in charge of the operation? Especially since it wasn’t an operation at all… But Kirika and Shirabe were happy and this was all that mattered for now. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group of five people got a lot of attention walking down the street. The reason for that wasn’t in their number or the noises some of them made; people were surprised to see two well-known women together and began to make wild guesses about their relationship. They tried to ignore the fuss buzzing around, but little by little these whispers behind their backs and stares became annoying. Fortunately, they reached their destination fast enough and the torture of fame didn’t last for too long.

“Open.” The muffled word sounded from the depths of the house as Maria knocked on the door. It would be merely stupid to expect that Nastassja might bother with opening the main door personally, since it required too much effort from her. 

Maria pushed the door and confidently stepped in as if it was her own house. She headed straight to the room Nastassja used as her office, not waiting for her friends to catch up. Finally being so close to another answer about her past, Maria didn’t want to wait even a single moment for fear of losing confidence and turning away. This conversation could be a heavy one and painful in many ways, and facing the rough truth was never easy. 

“I knew you would come.” Nastassja’s voice was calm and relaxed. She put away the book she was reading when Maria walked into the room and stopped right before her. She caught the heavy gaze of the younger woman and sighed, intertwining her fingers and resting them on her lap. “Dr. Ver was here early in the morning. He said that now I won’t be able to keep silent.” She grunted, displeased. “I never liked that man… But I should admit, he is a genius.” 

“So it’s true. You knew about everything.” Maria said coldly, clenching her fists tightly. Nastassja didn’t even try to deny it or make excuses. That only fueled the pain of betrayal in Maria’s heart. 

“In general. Yes.” Nastassja nodded. At this moment the rest of the visitors walked in and stood in a semicircle behind Maria. “Quite a crowd.” The woman shook her head. With so many people here, she really had no other choice but to answer all of the questions that were asked. “Fine. I’ll start from the beginning then.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “John Wayne Vercingetorix…” 

“Ver…cng…x…” Confused, Shirabe looked at Kirika while trying to pronounce the strange surname they had just heard. 

“No one can say it right… Is that why they call him Ver.?” Kirika whispered back, but then smiled nervously as she caught a glare from Nastassja. “Sorry.”

“So, John… Dr. Ver, is one of the leading scientists in the Association. He climbed his way to his high position through researching things on a verge of common sense, carrying on amoral experiments only to confirm or disprove some delusional ideas.” Nastassja paused, it wasn’t easy to talk a lot in her state and emotions began to overtake her. “One of the theories he greatly supported was about the legends being based on real facts. It’s only natural to think that there were many beings that now don’t exist, but they might have been seen by ancient humans who couldn’t understand their true nature and could only fear them. As a result, they were endowed with supernatural abilities and called monsters. The stories about them became legends,” Nastassja stopped once again and rolled her eye in annoyance, noticing the confused looks. 

“In short, when you see something you don’t understand and can’t explain, you call it magic, witchcraft, or give it any other supernatural explanation that satisfies you.” Maria tried to explain it in a simpler way. “If no one explains what exactly it was, you’ll keep thinking it was something extraordinary and will tell people about it. Little by little the story will be born, which can eventually become a legend if it survives for at least a century.” 

“Exactly.” Nastassja nodded. “So the theory Dr. Ver wanted to prove was that at some point in history, humanity assimilated and mixed blood with some creatures that were close enough genetically. He said that lost qualities and abilities can be restored since they are still hidden in many of us. And they began to do research on humans. Looking for the ‘key’ to this Pandora’s box.” 

“Wait… wait… wait…” Kirika intervened impatiently. “Are you saying that long ago some people… um… you know… with all these scary ugly creatures from spooky stories…” She tried to show what she meant with strange gestures, slightly blushing.

“Actually many of these creatures were really human-like.” Tsubasa knew enough about different yokai. Having access to the majority of the Kazanari archives, she learned all that she could in order to know her enemy better. “In some cases you won’t even be able to distinguish them from humans.” 

“And some stories are only stories anyway.” Ogawa shook his head. In their homelands it was proven long ago that some of the legends were only fiction without a real base, which made their job much harder. 

“Many of Dr. Ver’s attempts failed. Many people suffered and died in torment. I didn’t agree with his methods, but I couldn’t just quit.” Nastassja resumed the story when everyone fell silent again. “My physical state is the result of an accident that happened during one of these experiments.” She took a deep breath and looked at Maria. “I knew he wouldn’t stop and guessed that he would manage to gain the support of Adam Weishaupt, but I didn’t know what he was really after.” 

“And when you saw me, you understood what happened.” Maria lowered her head. Her voice sounded weak and defeated. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” 

“Because you were not ready.” Nastassja frowned. “I couldn’t allow you to act harshly and play right into his hands.” The woman raised her voice but not enough to yell. “He even predicted that I wouldn’t leave you to struggle alone.”

“You were not in cahoots with him?” A sparkle of hope appeared in Maria’s mind, making it easier for her to deal with the whole situation. She felt how Kirika and Shirabe took both of her hands in theirs, reassuringly squeezed them. 

“No.” Nastassja shook her head while closing her eye. “I genuinely wanted to help you. Your father was my dear friend, even if we had some disagreements. I couldn’t leave his daughter alone in this predicament.” 

“I must say it was the right choice, professor.” Ogawa stepped closer. “Considering all circumstances, Maria-san wouldn’t do much alone and, knowing the truth, she wouldn’t stay away from it.” It might be a harsh truth, but Ogawa could imagine just how things would turn out if Maria tried to face Dr. Ver alone. 

“But now we have her back.” Tsubasa nodded, stepping closer as well. “We will stop this nonsense and bring them all to justice.” Her voice sounded confident as she squeezed the hilt of her katana, silently swearing upon her sword. 

“Yep, Maria isn’t alone.” Kirika hugged Maria from the one side as Shirabe did the same from the other. 

“We are with you to the end, Maria.” Shirabe added to her friend’s words, looking up at Maria. 

“Now I can be at peace. You are in good hands now, Maria.” Nastassja smiled. Her smile was weak but warm, one Maria had never seen before. The woman deeply cared about her and she could feel it now more than ever. But something still felt off here.

“Why does it sound like farewell?” Concern filled Maria’s voice as she said these words. She peered into Nastassja’s face, hoping to find an answer or a sign of disproof of the suspicions she had at the moment. “It’s getting worse again, isn’t it?” 

“Not at the moment. But without Dr. Ver’s treatment it’s only a matter of time.” Nastassja closed her eye and took a deep steadying breath. “But it’s fine. I’d rather suffer some pain than listen to his monologue about becoming a savior of the world again.” It always felt like a small torture when Ver bragged about his progress and great developments. Every time it ended with delusional godly ambition to create a better race, free from the imperfections of human existence. 

“We overheard a talk between Ver and Adam yesterday. They were talking about some ancient monster…” Maria reluctantly steered the conversation in a different direction. She didn’t want to make matters worse by talking about Nastassja’s state. Pity and sadness were not what the woman needed. “…And that only another one can beat it.” 

“Knowing him, it’s likely only a colorful figure of speech. However, I can’t even begin to guess what his plan for you was.” Nastassja frowned and raised her hand to rub her chin, thinking about the possible goals of a lunatic doctor. But was he really as crazy as everyone thought? “The only thing I can suggest is to meet with Carol Malus Dienheim. She is a brilliant alchemist and Dr. Ver worked with her on some project. She isn’t involved with the Association, but somehow they have found a common ground. Maybe she knows more about the serum.” 

“Isn’t she the Murderer of miracles?” Kirika opened her mouth in awe. That was a title some citizens called a person named Carol; it was cool and scary at the same time. “What?” She blinked, perplexed as everyone’s gazes fixed on her. 

“We heard some gossip about her.” Shirabe interfered, saving Kirika from the wave of questions that was about to crush her at any moment. “But she wasn’t seen for many years. From the moment she acquired some ancient castle far away from here…” 

“We are going on a trip then.” Kirika’s eyes now shined with excitement. “I hope it will be on a train.” 

“I prefer horses.” Tsubasa hummed, crossing her arms over her chest. “But if there is no other choice, then a train will do.” 

“We are not even going anywhere yet.” Maria protested, turning to Tsubasa. “We don’t even know where we should go.” Tsubasa’s determination and desire to act was admirable but it would be wiser to slow down for a moment. 

“Maria-san, I think it might be for the best to leave the city for some time.” Ogawa carefully made emphasis on the rational part of the idea. “We don’t know what they will do next. If they don’t know where you are it might interfere with their plans.” 

“You have a point, but we still need to find out where we should go. We can’t just blindly check out each old castle. It will take too much time.” At the moment Maria had no idea where to start or who might know where Carol lived now. Citizens could hardly be a reliable source of information in this case.

“Leave it to me.” Ogawa smiled brightly. “It shouldn’t take much time. She seems to be a famous enough person and we now have the support from the governor.” He winked, patting his pocket, hinting at some proof of this alliance that he possessed. 

“I almost forgot about it.” Maria’s eyes widened as she realized that now they really had a connection in the high circles thanks to the Kazanari clan. It had slipped her mind in the whirl of events and she even forgot to ask Tsubasa what the result of the negotiations she had at the reception was. That might be really useful. They could even try to ask the authorities to arrest Ver. Even if he managed to escape, that would win them some time or even give a chance to interrogate him. 

“Professor Nastassja.” Ogawa called the older woman, catching her attention. “There is also one matter we need your help with.” He shoved his hand in the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out the notebook as well as several folded papers. “Tsubasa-san got this from a strange person that was killed. I decrypted the text but it’s mostly descriptions of experiments. Here is just a part of it.” He handed everything to Nastassja and everyone fell silent as she began to look through the notebook and examined the papers. 

“Do you see this sign?” Nastassja pointed at the hand-drawn symbol consisting of seven circles connected to each other by lines, forming a hexagon with a sphere in the center. “The Septenary System, it is connected to Lapis Philosophicus. But nowadays there aren’t many people that believe in it… To be honest I can recall only one person. Saint-Germain. I can assume it was stolen from her or given willingly…” 

“She is involved with Adam.” Maria frowned and bit the inner side of her lip. The notebook could be a trap or an unexpected gift, but they had no idea what to do with it. They were not alchemists. 

“Ask Carol if you decide to meet her.” Nastassja closed the notebook and folded the papers then laid them on the table near her. “I can say only that much. I’m only a scientist.” 

“Thank you, professor.” Ogawa respectfully bowed his head and took the items from the table. “It’s more than enough to proceed further.” 

“You are welcome.” Nastassja answered politely. She already looked exhausted from talking so much and expected the guests to leave soon. 

“Then we should go.” Maria suggested, noticing the tired look on the older woman’s face. She knelt down before Nastassja and laid her hand over hers. “I’ll come later today. There are a few more questions I’d like to ask you.” She said quietly, slightly squeezing Nastassja’s hands as she received a nod in response. 

After giving their thanks to Nastassja once again and saying goodbye they left the house. They agreed that for now it would be better to go home and discuss everything, but they managed to walk only several meters when the sound of heavy boots on the road stones interrupted their small talks. At least a dozen men in military uniforms with rifles in their hands surrounded them. They stood in a circle, aiming the weapons at them.

“What is the meaning of this?” Maria’s voice sounded strong and confident. She graciously tossed her hair over her shoulder and stepped forward, covering Kirika and Shirabe with her body. In the corner of her eye she noticed that Ogawa and Tsubasa did the same.

Two people before her stepped aside, allowing a man in a police officer’s suit to step forward. “Maria Cadenzavna Eve. You are under arrest.” He declared officially. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Accusations and handcuffs. Is that an arrest or a role-play?"

Surrounded by the armed men and shocked by the officer’s words, everyone stayed silent. There was no accusation indicted or explanation provided and it stunned everyone in their places. 

“And for what, may I ask?” Maria was first to regain self-awareness and was ready to take control over the situation. She looked at the officer with contempt, showing in her posture how deeply offended and irritated she was by his words. However, her proud posture and confidence were only a facade for the people present, in reality she could barely keep her voice calm and steady. Panic was slowly taking control of her mind, cutting her ability to reason clearly. 

“You are accused of aiding terrorists and attempted murder.” The man declared loudly, raising a document bearing an official seal and showing it to Maria. Only one look at it proved that it was a genuine arrest order. 

“This is nonsense.” Tsubasa held back rougher words to not make the situation worse. “You can’t arrest her.” She earnestly glared at the officer, forcing him to step back under the weight of her gaze. “If you need an excuse, tell you superior I take full responsibility for that.” She turned her head to Ogawa. “Ogawa-san.” She didn’t need to explain to him what she wanted him to do, he understood right away. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a paper with the same official seal that the arrest order had on it and handed it to the officer. 

“I see…” The officer looked at the document and then at Tsubasa. “It’s true that you have the authority to do things beyond the law if necessary, Ms. Kazanari, but you can’t hinder an authorized arrest. However, you can be an attestor or even assist if you wish.” 

Tsubasa gritted her teeth so hard that she felt mild pain. She and Ogawa were merely an independent third party and could change nothing. In other situation she would like such a sovereign status, but right now it only made her utterly helpless. 

“But Maria didn’t do anything bad…” Shirabe stepped out from behind Maria’s back, taking a better look at the officer. She knew that her words wouldn’t change anything but she couldn’t stay silent. If they were so eager to take Maria into custody, they had to take her and Kirika along as well.

“Yeah. We won’t let you take her!” As if she could read her partner’s mind, Kirika jumped closer to Maria and glowered at the man with a threatening expression. 

Clicks were heard from all sides, as the rifle safeties were switched off. The situation had become rather intense and with each second it came closer to a critical point. 

“Fine. I’ll go with you.” Maria’s sudden words shocked both Kirika and Shirabe, but garnered only an understanding nod from Ogawa and a heavy sigh from Tsubasa. “I’m not afraid of false accusations. But I will expect proper apologies later.” She definitely wasn’t really afraid of being imprisoned since they couldn’t have any evidence against her; the most terrifying part was the thought that her friends might get hurt trying to protect her. 

“Wise choice. Stretch your arms out, please.” The officer took the handcuffs off his belt and moved closer to bind Maria’s hands, but was suddenly stopped by a strong grip on his wrist. He raised a puzzled look and met Tsubasa’s keen glare. “Ms. Kazanari, must I repeat myself? Don’t interfere.” 

“I will do it.” Tsubasa said coldly, snatching the handcuffs from the man’s hand. She couldn’t keep watching this scene anymore. Her insides tightened in a painful knot as she observed the unjust actions towards Maria. But thoughts about justice and fairness were moved aside by tantalizing anxiety and concern about Maria. If there were no rifles aimed in their direction, she would carve a path for them, but common sense didn’t allow her to put up a fight in these circumstances. 

“It doesn’t feel like an arrest when you do it.” Maria whispered lowering her head closer, while Tsubasa carefully snapped the handcuffs on her wrists. Maria felt the care in the sentinel’s actions when she felt a brief and gentle touch on her hand. 

“It’s the least I can do…” Tsubasa’s indigo eyes reflected the suffering of her soul as she said it. There was no other choice, but even rational thinking couldn’t ease the grip that clenched her heart as the handcuffs were locked. 

Everyone watched the scene in silence. Kirika wrapped her arm around Shirabe’s shoulders and pulled her closer, gritting her teeth. Due to a wave of uncontrollable emotions she wanted to call Tsubasa heartless, but noticing the same pain written all over the sentinel’s face she realized how wrong these thoughts were. They all were in this together, feeling the same misery and helplessness. 

“You two should go home.” Ogawa said quietly, laying his hands on the girls’ shoulders. “Tsubasa-san and I will do everything we can to make it end as quickly as possible.” He managed to give them a weak smile, reassuring that everything would be fine. 

“We will go with you.” Shirabe shook her head, refusing to leave. They promised to stay with Maria no matter what and this was their chance to prove it. 

“Let’s move on.” The now hated-by-everyone officer declared, giving the men under his command the order to escort them to the main police house. 

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“So you’re telling me it’s all because of Dr. Ver?” Tsubasa pressed her knuckles to the table, standing before the relaxed, sitting old man who was introduced to her as the head of police. His office was surprisingly small and contained only a big wooden table, several old chairs, and a big shelf full of documents. Tsubasa and Ogawa headed there right away when they came to the police house, but were now stuck in this endless and pointless conversation. “He is the real criminal here.” She tried hard to keep her cool, but with each word it was getting more and more difficult. At least she got a chance to argue about the arrest, unlike Kirika and Shirabe who were not allowed to go any further than the waiting room.

“It’s only your words.” The man humphed in annoyance. “And in Miss Eve’s case we have witnesses. She tried to kill him. And we have every right to consider this action as a collusion with the group of terrorists who attacked the governor’s house.” 

“She tried to stop him.” Tsubasa pronounced these words for the third time already, though this time through gritted teeth. “And she was trying to prevent a bloodbath there.” She already felt how the blood boiled in her veins with the desire to smack the man’s face on the table to make him listen. Yes, he had some logic behind his words but it was merely falsification of the facts, though she could guess who was behind it. 

“Once again…” The man began to repeat the same phrase that Tsubasa had been hearing for half an hour, but was interrupted by a loud rumble followed by a cry of pain. “What the…” He stood up and hurried to the door. Tsubasa and Ogawa exchanged concerned looks and followed the head policeman. 

A strange picture appeared before their eyes as they came out of the office. Maria, with her hands still chained, stood before a young man who was sitting on the floor and holding his hand over his nose, inaudibly mumbling. Maria only grunted and looked away from him with an annoyed expression on her face. 

“Chief, she broke my nose!” The man jumped up on his legs as the head of the police came into the room. 

“It was only in self-defense.” Maria said coldly, regaining a prideful posture and filling her voice with confidence. “I’m not some farm girl. I know my rights. Maybe it’s worked before, but I won’t let you touch me under the pretext of a security check.” She glared at the young man, making him step back under the weight of her gaze. 

“You are right, Miss Eve. But I’m afraid we don’t have any authorized female staff here at the moment.” The head officer frowned, displeased by the situation. It was the standard procedure prescribed to search for any possibly hidden items. There had to be a solution. “Well…” Everyone in the room looked at Tsubasa. “Maybe Miss Kazanari will agree to assist us. Do you have any objections?” The man tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose, cursing the lack of personnel under his command, but at least this noisy foreign woman would leave him alone for a bit. 

“None.” Maria chuckled. “After all she put these on me.” She raised her hands up to her chest, showing off the handcuffs. “Why stop there? Right, Miss Kazanari?” She teasingly repeated the same appeal as the police chief. Her lips curved in an amused smirk as she noticed how Tsubasa’s eyes became wide and hint of panic appeared on her face. The situation was little by little becoming more intriguing and entertaining. If there was no way to escape, why not try to enjoy it? Moreover, it could benefit her case. If there was a choice, she would prefer for Tsubasa to find her knife, not someone else. 

“Yes, I will do it.” After a deep fortifying breath Tsubasa was ready to proceed with the task she was given. It was nothing difficult and a pretty common procedure, though with one specific “but”. While there were servants of the law present, she couldn’t just pretend that she did it and that meant that she would have to touch Maria and check all her clothes.  _ ‘It’s my duty as a sentinel… No more, no less.’  _ She thought to herself, evenly breathing in and out while she shortened the distance between herself and Maria. 

“Put everything you find on the desk.” The chief dismissively waved his hand and headed back into his office, leaving the rest of the responsibility to his subordinate who was still holding the head up and trying to stop his nose from bleeding.

Tsubasa only nodded in response, frowning and thoughtfully peering into Maria’s jacket. Fortunately for her there were only two side pockets, which she just patted imperturbably and found nothing. As she remembered, Maria didn’t take anything when they were ready to leave, so from the start Tsubasa didn’t expect to find anything. These thoughts calmed her down and cleared her mind from excessive worry as she began to unbutton Maria’s jacket. She completely switched into sentinel mode as she stepped closer, concentrating on the task and sneaking her hands under the dense material of the outerwear before her. Her hands carefully slid upward on Maria’s sides, following the curves of her body. Tsubasa could feel the even movements caused by the other woman’s breath, but it suddenly became slow and intermittent. The next thing she felt was a fast thrum under her right palm as her hands reached the soft swells of Maria’s breasts. A muffled guttural sound forced her to freeze in place and sheepishly raise her head up.

“Tsubasa… Can you do it faster?” Maria whispered huskily as their eyes met. She expected it to be more formal and fast but for some unknown reason Tsubasa was moving too slow. Probably in any other situation she wouldn’t complain at all, but right now she felt how her self-control was fading with each second. The sentinel’s confident actions were tantalizing and when her breasts were reached by Tsubasa’s hands, Maria scarcely managed to stop any sounds from escaping her throat. The tremble in her insides waned as the contact was lost, leaving a lasting aftermath.

“Sorry.” Tsubasa mumbled in response, pulling her hands back. Did she just do the exact thing Maria wanted to prevent from happening when she broke the policeman’s nose? All confidence disappeared in a moment, stunning Tsubasa completely. 

“Take my dagger off.” Maria took a few seconds to calm down and whispered again, trying to guide Tsubasa. She never left her home unarmed, and today wasn’t an exception. Right before leaving, Maria had fixed a sheath with her silver dagger onto her thigh. She didn’t want the police to have it as evidence against her, since that would mean it might be lost forever. This item was too important for her to lose that easily. She furtively glanced at Ogawa who obviously watched them from afar, trying to distract the young injured man from close observation. There were several reasons why he did it, but Maria didn’t want to think about them right now. “It’s there.” She pointed at her left thigh, covered by her long skirt with a knee length side slit.

“You mean…?” The heat rushed up from Tsubasa’s neck, as she realized what Maria asked her to do. The answer was clear as day but she still wanted to make sure she didn’t get it wrong. 

“Yes.” Maria nodded, casting another glance in Ogawa’s direction. He seemed to notice her look and meaningfully blinked at her, laying a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and smiling at him. Maria could hear short fragments of phrases, as Ogawa suggested he would look for first aid kit and assist with taking care of the man’s broken nose. It was very much welcome in many ways. The smell of blood was sharpening Maria’s feelings, and removing its source from the room would be a real blessing. To her relief the policeman agreed, believing Ogawa’s words that Tsubasa could take care of things unsupervised. 

“Fine...” Tsubasa didn’t notice the little glancing exchange Ogawa and Maria had as well as the fact that they were now alone in the room. Her mind was nearly blank when she knelt down before Maria. She timidly moved the edge of the skirt aside, laying her fingers on the side of Maria’s knee. So far she couldn’t see the sheath or its fasteners and the only thing she could do was search for it by touch. The languid anticipation grew within her as her fingertips tenderly roamed upward, enjoying the softness of Maria’s skin. The solid leather under her touch was a big disappointment, but it was what she was supposed to look for. Following the lines of the binding, Tsubasa found a clasp, leaning in closer to reach it. As her face ended up dangerously close to Maria’s groin, she looked up and felt how her mouth became terribly dry. But that didn’t help much. Her eyes met turquoises ones full of desire. She hadn’t seen this look from Maria before. This passion and raw need were overwhelming. 

Maria nibbled her lower lip, distracting herself from the tantalizing throbbing in her belly. Her body was responding with lingering shivers to Tsubasa’s touches. Her mind debated between the wish to make this moment last longer and the thought that Tsubasa should hurry and find this damn clasp. Her breath shuttered as she looked down and realized in what position they were now. She felt that Tsubasa’s fingers finally found their goal and now awkwardly tried to unlock the clasp, but it wasn’t that important. Maria gasped as the weight of the dagger fell away from her thigh along with Tsubasa’s hand. “Is it bad that I was beginning to enjoy the role of the criminal?” She whispered quietly, as Tsubasa stood up and faced her. 

“I don’t know…” Tsubasa leaned closer, claiming Maria’s lips in a passionate kiss. The back of her thighs met the edge of the table as Maria nudged her back, kissing her in response with an insatiable onslaught. 

“Now I see what it takes to make your shyness disappear.” Maria pulled away, gasping for air and smirking smugly. “But your timing is awful…” She leaned closer, sliding her fingers down to Tsubasa’s belly. With her chained hands she couldn’t do much, but it was an interesting challenge. Her desire was fueled by the sight of Tsubasa’s flushed face and slightly dilated pupils, visible in her half lidded eyes. She felt the hot breath escaping through the other woman’s parted lips on her skin and the delightfully fast heartbeat underneath her fingers. With amusement she noticed how the sentinel clamped the edge of the table with both of her hands when their thighs pressed together. “For the future reference, usually the tied one is supposed to be passive...” She grabbed Tsubasa’s shirt with both of her hands and pulled her closer, pressing their lips together once again. The taste of blood filled her mouth, as her fangs pierced soft skin of Tsubasa’s lip. She smirked, hearing a surprised moan in return followed by a shiver of anticipation. But this couldn’t continue, not here and not now. After licking the blood off Tsubasa’s lips, Maria forced herself to step back, silently cursing for the necessity to be rational, now of all times. 

“Maria, I…” Tsubasa couldn’t find any words to say next. She succumbed to her desire way too easily, but she couldn’t blame herself for losing control; there were no regrets. However, her unfulfilled need was now driving her crazy. She only now noticed that they were alone in the room and breathed out in relief. Tsubasa raised her hand and touched her wounded lip, checking if the bleeding stopped or not. The mild pain from the touch made her hiss quietly, yet it was a strangely pleasant feeling.

“You did everything you could to make this terrible arrest a pleasant one.” Maria smirked and raised her hands to fix her hair. “I hope committing a crime and asking to join me in my cell wasn’t in your plans.” She chuckled, teasing Tsubasa while she smoothed out her shirt. “But I don’t think I’ll stay here for long. Whatever they are trying to implement here, they will have a hard time accomplishing it.” 

“It’s about Dr. Ver. He claims you tried to kill him and that you were part of some terrorist group… It’s all about yesterday.” Tsubasa cleared her throat, still steadying herself by holding onto the wooden surface between her fingers. “So far it’s his word against yours, but apparently he is respected here.”

“I could guess.” Maria sighed and pressed her fingers to her chin and thought about their situation. “Then we need to prove somehow that he is lying... Well, technically I took a shot at him.” She frowned. One harsh action from the past brought too many troubles. 

“I’m going to meet with the governor and convince him to stop this nonsense. You helped to save his life after all.” Tsubasa finally let go of the table, as her legs were ready to stand properly without support. “After all, he is the one who wants Kazanari’s support that badly.” She wasn’t supposed to tell anything, not even a small fact from what was discussed only yesterday during the diplomatic meeting, but she didn’t care already. If there was a possibility to push some buttons using the weight of her family name, she was willing to do so for Maria’s sake. 

“Do what you think is right. I can rely only on you now…” Maria sadly smiled, feeling helpless. All she could do was sit and wait, hoping that Tsubasa would succeed. 

“I’ll keep it safe.” Tsubasa bent down to take the dagger from the floor, where it was dropped during the passionate moment and then forgotten. She shoved it under her belt and covered it with her coat, away from curious eyes. 

“Please do.” Maria nodded. “Kirika has keys to the house… Try to calm them down and assure them that everything will be fine.” While they still had a private moment, they could keep an open and honest conversation without a fear of compromising themselves. “I’m going to miss everyone... especially you.” Maria said quietly, lowering her shoulders in defeat, but then a reassuring smile returned to her face. “But I hope it won’t be for too long.” Despair began to tighten her chest, but she had to stay strong and confident, helping everyone believe that it wasn’t so bad. 

Tsubasa noticed how the usual shine she loved so much faded away from Maria’s eyes, though she was still smiling. Maybe she wasn’t good at reading people or understanding their emotions, but here it was obvious what was going on in Maria’s soul, even for her. Tsubasa stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Maria’s shoulders pulling her into a hug. “I’ll visit every day.” She whispered, burying her nose into Maria’s coral hair. “I’ll get you out of here no matter what...” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days were all the same in the small cell Maria was placed in, but at least she was the only prisoner here now. A few days ago her neighbor from the other cell was taken away to trial and never came back. She didn’t want to think about their fate and it didn’t really matter, especially since it brought the pleasure of silence to her days. Tsubasa came every day as she promised, but only for a brief time between the many meetings she had to attend. She looked exhausted and almost broken, but Maria never brought it up, knowing that it would only push the mood further into the void. 

Maria sat on the bed with her back pressed to the wall and the elbow placed on her bent knee, looking towards nothing and humming the old melody. She already knew every inch of this space visible in the dim light of the lamps. It was a common pastime for her lately, but it did have a bright side, she could calmly think about everything she recently found out. 

“Maria!” A familiar voice distracted Maria from her thoughts. She immediately saw Shirabe’s smiling face as she melancholically turned her head, blinking to regain concentration. Kirika was next to her, clinging to the cold cell’s bars and peering inside. “How are you doing here?” They were allowed to visit for the first time, but seeing Maria in this state only brought mixed emotions. Seeing her caged like a beast even though she was well and sound was hard and painful for her closest friends to witness, but they still smiled at her. 

“Not so bad.” Maria smiled at them and stood up from the bed. She came closer to them and laid her hands above theirs. “It’s quiet in here and peaceful. I’m surprised they don’t bother me with any interrogations.” She shrugged. 

“It’s probably thanks to Tsubasa-san, but we didn’t have many chances to talk to her.” Kirika frowned slightly as Tsubasa’s tired face from this morning came to her mind. She didn’t talk to them much, aside from reassuring that everything would be solved soon, but it was making the waiting even more bitter.

“She comes home late at night and leaves before dawn…” Shirabe nodded, coming to the same conclusion that Kirika did. “She seems to have a hard time with all of these meetings. Ogawa-san said that everyone sees her opinion as a biased one…” Shirabe brought this up in conversation carefully, wondering how much Maria knew about everything so far. 

“Of course…” Maria pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes to rub them. It was the most obvious outcome since they were seen together at the party. She laughed quietly, imagining what kind of things Tsubasa had to hear about it. “They twisted everything so it looks like I seduced Tsubasa to use her.” She shook her head, throwing away this thought. “I hope she won’t do anything stupid.” 

“Like declaring a war if they won’t let you go?” Kirika’s eyes sparkled with a familiar excitement as she looked from Maria to Shirabe, back and forth, over and over again. “That would be so romantic.” Her words sounded aspirated, as she laid her hand on her chest, closing her eyes. 

“Break into the prison and help you escape, with a following chase.” Shirabe nodded at her own words, appreciating the scene her imagination drew for her. “We will help her if she decides to do it.” She laid her free hand above Maria’s, reassuring her that they were ready to do it this way if needed.

“Don’t even think about it.” Maria’s eyes widened as she perceived how serious these suggestions were. She appreciated the thought but it was merely insane to choose one of these options. “I’m sure Ogawa-san won’t let her do anything like that. But if he submits to her will, you two should stop them.” She tried to stay calm and serious, but her voice was permeated with a slight panic as she hurried to stop this nonsense before it even started. 

“What a lovely scene.” A male voice came from the entrance. By the intonation it was easy to say that its owner was smiling with delight, listening to the conversation between the three women. 

Maria tightly gritted her teeth, removing her hands from the girls’. She knew this voice well, and it was the last person she wanted around Kirika and Shirabe while there was a lattice between them. “Ver…” She pronounced through clenched teeth, hearing how steps were moving closer to them. Anger began to boil inside of her as the realization of Ver’s possible plan came to mind. If he really wanted to break her, this would be the perfect opportunity. While she was caged and harmless, he had no reason to be afraid to be in her presence. There had to be a way to prevent it… She didn’t think about an escape route before, but now it would be much welcomed. She grabbed the iron bars of the cell, desperately trying to pull them out, or at least bend them, but her strength was enough only to shake them. 

“Is he THAT Dr. Ver?” Kirika asked, grabbing Shirabe’s arm and pulling her closer. The smug smile on the man’s face sent a chill down her spine, awakening all of her protective instincts. She could feel in her guts the inexplicable danger that emanated from this man, even if his hand was fixed with a bandage under his white coat. It was the only satisfying moment. It was the proof that Maria’s shot seriously hurt him; however, this injury was the reason she was now stuck in jail. 

“How rude.” The haughty smirk curved Ver’s lips, as he stopped a step away from Kirika and looked down at her. He wasn’t impressed by her angry glare and clenched fists; all of that only amused him. “Step aside, I need to talk seriously with Maria.” His expression instantly changed to a menacing one, as he raised his hand to push two girls out of his way. 

“Get away!” Kirika exclaimed angrily, taking a step forward and placing herself between Shirabe and Ver. She looked straight into his eyes with hatred, but her insides were trembling with anxiety and fear. 

“What do you want?” Maria’s fingers squeezed the bars so tight that her knuckles almost turned white, as she forced these words out of her mouth. She clearly knew that right now she was in no position to threaten Ver or insult him, every harsh action she took might lead to an irreparable result. She took a deep steadying breath, regaining control of her nerves and rage as much as possible. 

“I want to help you make things right.” Ver turned to Maria, now completely forgetting about the presence of younger girls. His expression changed to a serious one as he looked at Maria from head to toe, appreciating the view before him. “You have no other choice but to accept my gift.” His hand snuck under his coat and pulled out a small flask looking vessel. He raised it closer to his face and shook it, examining the thick dark liquid sloshing inside of it. 

As her eyes fell on the flask, Maria abruptly felt a strong nausea, forcing her to cover her mouth and nose with her hand. She wanted to look away, but her eyes refused to obey and caught every movement of the strange liquid.  _ ‘Is it the same serum from the past?’ _ She asked herself, already knowing the answer. Her body didn’t respond at all and a small tremble in her tense muscles was the only thing she could feel at the moment. She didn’t know why it had such an effect on her but she couldn’t fight the feeling at all. 

“What are you doing to Maria?!” Shirabe exclaimed grabbing Kirika’s hand. She noticed the effect this thing had on Maria and could hardly understand what exactly was going on here, but it definitely wasn’t good. They had to stop it somehow. 

“Revealing her potential. Granting her the power.” The loud laugh echoed through the premises, as Ver squeezed the vessel in his palm. “She can do great things if she will do what I say.” He stretched out his hand, opening his palm and offering the glass item to Maria. “Take it.” Ver smiled with delight as he observed how Maria hesitantly let go of the lattice bar and took the flask with a shaking hand. “Now drink.” His voice was surprisingly soft and warm, as if he had offered Maria to swallow something nice and not creepy at all. 

“Get lost already!” Unable to watch the scene before them, Kirika rushed forward and kicked Ver right between his legs with her knee. “Why are there no guards at all?” She asked with irritation, but no one here could explain it. The reason was the lack of personnel again, but it hardly could be comforting knowledge. When she was ready to lay another hit and force the man out of the room, she froze in place, facing a gun pointed directly at her forehead. 

“Don’t you dare to interfere!” Ver barked at her still writhing from the pain and trying to stand straight again. The rage caused by such a sudden humiliation boiled in his eyes as he cocked the trigger. 

“Kiri-chan!” Shirabe attempted to get closer to Kirika and try to help, but she was stopped by Kirika’s gesture telling her to stay away. 

“Drink, or I’ll shoot her.” Ver slightly turned his deranged and smirking face to Maria. The fear and despair in her eyes sent a pleasant thrill though his body, making his tremble visible. 

“Don’t do it, Maria!” Kirika gritted her teeth, maintaining her stand against Ver and piercing him with a gaze full of fury. If it could stop the torture Maria was going through, she was ready to even die here, but deep in the corner of her mind she knew that it wouldn’t help at all. Her breath stopped as she felt the cold steel of the barrel pressed directly to her skin. “You won’t leave this place if you shoot me.” She gulped, playing her last card that could stop the man from taking harsh actions. After all, behind the wall there were policemen and Ver couldn’t get away with killing here. 

“Self-defense.” He laughed. “I came to try to solve things with Miss Eve peacefully, wanted to forgive her, but her little accomplices attacked me. It’s the only way an injured weak man like me can defend himself.” 

“Filthy liar.” Kirika groaned, realizing that he already had a believable excuse for everything. The man was a coward but sadly a clever one. 

“Stop it.” Maria breathed out, lowering her shoulders in defeat. There was nothing she could do and she resented herself for it. Hopelessness weighed down on her chest as she looked at the flask in her hand. Whatever it was supposed to do to her certainly wouldn’t be pleasant and could lead only to unpredictable consequences. But there was no escape from this fate. “I’ll do it.” Hesitantly she opened the vessel and the sharp sour smell hit her nose, causing a new wave of nausea. Holding her breath, Maria brought it closer to her mouth, while stoically fighting the tremble in her hand. She looked at Kirika and Shirabe, reminding herself why she was doing this. This was the only way she could save them.  _ ‘Tsubasa… Where are you?’ _ She asked herself, closing her eyes. The hope for a miracle still smoldered in her soul, but it was foolish of her to expect it to happen. He wouldn’t come here if he knew that the sentinel could show up at any moment. Time stopped for her for a moment, as she tilted the flask, pressing it to her lips. The taste of iron mixed with earth filled her mouth and flew down, causing a burning and itchy feeling in her throat. The next thing she felt was the pain in her knees as they hit the stone floor as her body betrayed her. The flask fell from her hand and shattered with a weak clink as it hit the floor. 

“Maria!” Both Kirika and Shirabe exclaimed in panic, rushing to the lattice when Maria caught herself by pressing her palms to the stones beneath her. They tried to reach her but the space between the bars was too small even for the rather miniature Shirabe to slip in. All they could do was watch and Ver’s presence meant nothing for them now. 

“Try to master it until our next meeting.” Ver said with satisfaction written all over his face as he hid the gun back under his coat. Casting one last glance at Maria, he smugly smirked and turned away, walking out of the jail area and making it clear that he had no interest in them at all now. 

After a minute or two, Maria managed to suppress a cough, still feeling dizzy, disorientated. She was panting for breath. “Tell Tsubasa and Ogawa-san what happened.” She whispered intermittently, raising her head and looking at her friends with a plea in her eyes. Having them here at this moment was invaluable, but they needed to leave. Whatever was about to happen wasn’t for them to see, and they were only people who could explain to Tsubasa what happened. “But don’t mention it to anyone else.”

“But!” Kirika wanted to protest, hitting the bar with her fist, but was interrupted by Shirabe’s tug on her sleeve. She turned her head ready to argue, but failed to pronounce a word as she saw Shirabe shaking her head with a gloomy expression on her face. This silent exchange made her realize that there was no time to waste. “We will be back as fast as we can.” She clenched her fists and tightly shut her eyes, turning away, and following Shirabe to the exit. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The time flow almost stopped. Maria didn’t remember how she managed to climb onto the bed and couldn’t even guess how much time had passed since the moment Shirabe and Kirika left. Her whole body was burning from the inside, depriving her of the ability to think. Sweat exuded all over her skin, sticking her coral locks to her face and neck. The pain in each muscle was driving her mad, as she tightly clamped her fingers on both forearms, trying to make it stop even for a little bit.  _ ‘I need blood…’  _ Maria thought, feeling the growing burn in her throat. The feeling was familiar to her, but this time it appeared to be agonizingly strong. She shut her eyes tightly and gasped for air as the presence of her inner beast began to take control over her mind.  _ ‘I need to hold it back. When Tsubasa will come I…’ _ The groan of irritation rumbled in her throat, as a torturous cramp flashed through her body like a shockwave, only fueling the anger within her. Ver had to pay for this. As the rage boiled stronger in her veins, Maria’s senses began to react sharper on everything around her. She reached the edge of insanity when her ears caught the sound of a heartbeat, although there was no one around. The trump was too fast for a human. Maria opened her eyes and forced herself to turn her head in the direction where the source of this sound was supposed to be. There was nothing but a small window with the lattice at the far end of the hall. She noticed that the sky was already darkened, meaning it was late in the evening already. However, she didn’t know from her position of anything that could be the source of the sound she heard.  _ ‘What the hell?’ _ She asked herself, as she heard the receding sound of small wings and the heart beat fading with it.  _ ‘A bird?’ _ She definitely felt insane now. No one could feel a small creature like this from such a distance. Even in her almost frenzied state she could detect only humans within several meters, but never an animal. She was about to laugh at this idea, but a new wave of pain made her grit her teeth tightly. A few more agonizing moments had passed before she sensed another presence, now from the direction of the exit door. Gathering the last pieces of her consciousness, she tried to count the number of people nearby. As she began to count, her eyes widened as she recognized a heartbeat she knew better than any other. When the door opened, she could already hear their voices, but barely understood what they were talking about while her mind was once again fighting back rising primal instincts.

“I don’t need your opinion.” Tsubasa dismissively glanced at the policeman walking next to her when he opened his mouth to say something. “Just give me the key as you were ordered.” She was furious after hearing the story from Shirabe and Kirika and every small detail threatened to become the last drop for her patience to reach its limit. She was done with trying to solve things in a peaceful way. Even if it meant to threaten Kazanari allies and disobey her father’s orders, she was going to take Maria home. Leaving her here was now out of the question. She should have done it earlier, rather than waste her time on playing political games as Ogawa had suggested. 

“Do as she says, please.” Ogawa, who was walking behind Tsubasa, patted the policeman’s shoulder, encouraging the bewildered man. He didn’t agree with harsh methods, but this situation demanded tough measures. The security and logic of the authorities here were quite low for his liking. He couldn’t even imagine what they were thinking about when they allowed Ver to visit the prisoner without an escort. After all, he was the victim in this case and anything could happen. And it did happen. 

Suddenly Tsubasa stopped and blocked off the way for the man next to her by stretching her hand to the side in front of him. Something felt off. Her instincts were warning her about danger, sending a chill down her spine. “Give me the key and leave.” Her voice was cold while her eyes locked on the lattice of the cell she already knew too well. An imminence was radiating from there. 

“Tsubasa-san?” Ogawa asked carefully, trying to hide the concern in his voice as he noticed the change in Tsubasa’s posture. He didn’t feel the same level of threat as Tsubasa, but soon enough he understood what was going on. 

“Both of you, leave.” Tsubasa barked at them, snatching the key from Maria’s cell out of the policeman’s hand. She was certain that something was going on with Maria. It was a feeling similar to one she experienced while facing Maria’s blood thirsty state. This time, though, it felt much greater, filling the body with a primal fear and begging for her to run away. 

“But…” The man was about to protest when he was interrupted by Ogawa’s hand on his shoulder. “All right.” He sighed, turning around and following Ogawa to the exit. He couldn’t understand what was going on, but it seemed to be wise to do what these two people were saying. 

When both men disappeared behind the closed door, Tsubasa stepped closer to the cell, fighting a fit of horror. She looked inside and noticed Maria sitting on the bed with her elbows pressed to her knees and head lowered down. She looked exhausted, but yet radiated a dangerous aura. Hesitating for a second, Tsubasa untied her katana from her belt and leaned it against the wall across from the cell. Her hunter nature was screaming for her to not stay unarmed, but she didn’t want to come near Maria with a weapon right now. It was the gesture that showed she wasn’t afraid to step inside without the only thing that could really protect her. 

“We can go home now, Maria.” Tsubasa pronounced calmly, turning the key in the lock and opening the door. But she didn’t get any response. She stepped inside, slowly moving closer to Maria and peering at her. Maria’s body language was unreadable for her, however with each step she felt how her heart was pounding faster, echoing in her ears. It was an unpleasant and strange feeling. At the same time she wanted to touch Maria and run away, not looking back. She swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat, raising her hand to touch Maria’s cheek. 

Burgundy glowing eyes met Tsubasa’s indigo ones, as her hand was grabbed and tightly squeezed in Maria’s fingers. Stunned by this gaze, Tsubasa couldn’t move at all nor say a thing. Maria abruptly stood up and turned Tsubasa around, pushing her against the wall. Tsubasa hissed as her chest hit the wall and her palm was firmly pressed to the cold stones above her head. She barely managed to tilt her head in order to avoid hitting the solid surface with her nose. She held her breath back, realizing what was going on, but didn’t even think about resisting. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt the soft pressure of Maria’s breasts on her back followed by the sensation of breath on the slope of her neck. A guttural groan reached her ear as a strong hand grabbed her hip, pulling her closer and holding her firmly in place. 

“Tsubasa…” Maria whispered huskily, pressing the tip of her nose behind Tsubasa’s ear and breathing in her scent. It was more intoxicating than ever before. She could discern some new alluring notes in the familiar smell, which teased her senses, pushing her closer to the edge. This new hunger felt insatiable and the dread of drinking Tsubasa’s blood to the last drop was the only thing that helped her to hold back for so long. Nonetheless, with each moment she was losing control, sensing the rising pulsation under her fingers and the shiver of the body pressed to her front. The thrum of Tsubasa’s heart accompanied by stuttered breathing sounded like a bewitching melody for her ears in the surrounding silence. Maria glided her hand up Tsubasa’s thigh, moving aside the edge of sentinel’s coat. There was too much cloth between them for her liking, she needed to feel more of the heat coming from Tsubasa’s body. Her arm roamed higher, but met an obstacle in the form of buttons. With an irritated groan she tried to unfasten them, but to her surprise they got torn off at the first move of her fingers, however it didn’t concern her at all. She snuck her fingers under the thick coat, claiming Tsubasa’s left breast in a firm grip through the thin fabric of the sentinel’s shirt. A delighted smirk curved her lips as a timid moan escaped Tsubasa’s throat. The heat beneath her fingers grew with each squeeze she gave to the soft swell in her palm. 

“What are you…” Tsubasa’s voice cracked around another moan as Maria’s cold fingers moved aside her shirt, caressing the hot skin of her collarbone and moving upward to her neck. “Maria.” She whispered, leaning her head back on Maria’s shoulder and letting these insistent fingers have full access to her neck. Her legs began to wilt and her vision became blurry, as the tantalizing throbbing grew in the pit of her belly. She couldn’t resist this possessive aura, she only desired to surrender to Maria’s will. 

“I want your blood to be hot.” Maria purred in Tsubasa’s ear, grabbing the collar of the sentinel’s coat and pulling it aside from her neck along with the shirt. As the main obstruction disappeared from the way, Maria leaned down, slowly swallowing in a languid anticipation. Desire simmered in her veins, as she opened her mouth and pressed her sharp fangs to Tsubasa’s silky skin, teasingly licking it and enjoying the flutter of her prey caused by this simple action. 

Tsubasa bit her lower lip muffling a moan, as Maria’s fangs pierced the sensitive spot on her neck, delving deeper into the flesh. Her thighs slightly twitched as the pain mingled with pleasure, forcing her to shut her eyes tightly. She leaned back on Maria, pressing firmly to the lush chest and raising her free hand, running her fingers through Maria’s hair. She needed to feel more of her, but struggled to receive it in this position. 

The metallic taste she desired so badly filled Maria’s mouth and a delighted guttural sound rumbled in her throat. Finally releasing Tsubasa’s hand she wrapped her arm around the sentinel’s slim waist, pressing her closer and holding her in place. Maria closed her eyes, enjoying the flow of the hot liquid down her throat, as her hand slid down on Tsubasa’s belly, following the heat coming from below. She groaned in displeasure when her fingers met a belt on their way. She tugged the belt’s clasp and Tsubasa’s thighs twitched once again, as the thick material of her pants was pressed tightly to her groin, forcing another moan out of the sentinel’s mouth. Maria hummed in amusement. She released the belt from her grip and slid her hand down, teasingly touching Tsubasa through the fabric of her pants. To her own surprise she began to enjoy this little bit of torture she was inflicting on the sentinel. 

Tsubasa was unable to endure it anymore. She wanted more. The raw need to feel Maria’s touch was driving her mad, but each time she tried to open her mouth to beg for it, nothing but moans and gasps could escape her lips. Her body was getting weaker with each sip Maria took from her, but she caught herself on the thought that she didn’t want it to stop, even if it meant she was to die here. Suddenly her eyes widened as she felt pressure between her thighs and a tightened grip of Maria’s jaw on her neck. She was ready to give away everything to feel this touch directly, without any cloth between herself and Maria’s fingers. Her body eagerly responded as she moved her hips towards Maria’s hand, begging for more. Each stroke of Maria’s fingers over her sensitive bundle of nerves through the fabric brought her closer to her limit. Pain from the bite on her neck mingled with the pleasant throbbing sensation growing in her abdomen, pushing her over the edge. Tsubasa shut her eyes tightly as the overwhelming sensation ran through her like a shockwave. She felt how Maria’s hand covered her mouth, muffling a cry of pleasure before a bright white light filled her vision and her mind went blank. 

Maria loosened the grip of her jaw on Tsubasa’s neck, releasing the hot flesh from its hold. She ran her tongue over the puncture marks from her teeth, licking off the trickles of blood that were left behind. “You are lucky we are not at home.” Maria whispered and pressed a finger to Tsubasa’s chin, pushing her head to the side and claiming her lips in an insatiable and passionate kiss. She could still feel the taste of blood in her mouth but it soon faded away. She now felt in control of herself again, but yet the hunger wasn’t fully sated and she needed more. But she would prefer to continue this feast on her bed behind the closed door. 

“Am I?” Tsubasa’s voice came out weakly, as they broke the kiss. She turned around and relaxed in Maria’s arms, resting her head on her shoulder. She tried to clear the fog covering her mind by taking deep breaths, but it refused to go away. Some more minutes passed before she finally found the power to open her eyes and concentrate on reality. Her mind began to recover the previous events one by one, returning to its normal state. Her cheeks flushed red as she realized what just happened, but she tried to move this thought aside for now. Right, she came here to release Maria and Ogawa was probably worried by now. They had to leave. She closed her eyes again, refusing to accept this truth. However, they couldn’t stay here any longer. “We should go.” She sighed, reluctantly moving over and trying to fix her clothes with slightly shaking hands. She silently thanked Maria for leaving at least the buttons of her shirt intact, otherwise it would be hard to explain her look. She pulled the collar of her coat up, covering the bite mark, letting out a quiet hiss when the fabric rubbed the damaged skin. Furtively she cast a brief glance at Maria and breathed out with relief, seeing that her eyes had turned back to the turquoise color and she seemed to be in control of herself once again. 

“We should.” Maria nodded, peering at Tsubasa with an amused smirk playing on her lips. She ran her fingers over her mouth to make sure there were no traces of blood left behind before leaving the cell. Tsubasa hurried to follow Maria, grabbing her katana on the way out as they headed towards the exit.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning in case someone is going to read it at work... This chapter is NSFW.

When all formalities were finally settled, Tsubasa, Maria and Ogawa left the police station. The sun hid behind the horizon, leaving the streets at the disposal of light from the lamps. The streets seemed to be empty already, however the muted sounds of wheels on the stone roads were heard from afar, inkling to the presence of the carriages somewhere on the adjacent streets. Lights flashed on and off in windows as the inhabitants came home and went to bed after a long day. The city lived its common life, unaware of the events that were still occurring in the shadows. 

As the door to the police station closed behind her, Tsubasa could finally relax. It appeared to be frankly difficult for her to keep a serious attitude before the authorities while her thoughts and feelings were like a raging tempest, tearing her apart. It was arduous to hold everything under control at once. She had to pay attention to every gesture and movement she made to hide the fresh bite mark on her neck hidden from the head policeman’s eyes, while keeping a neutral expression over her face when she desperately needed to change her underwear. It was quite hard to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of the moist fabric against her skin. But above everything else, it guided her thoughts back to events in the jail cell. Maria’s dangerous and possessive aura might have almost faded away, but one thought about it restored the tingling in Tsubasa’s belly. Why couldn’t she resist or protest at all back then? It was a strange mix of scary yet alluring feelings for her, which she couldn’t comprehend at the moment. While she was talking to the head policeman, she kept casting furtive glances at Maria, each time feeling the rising heat under her collar. However, the older woman was silent and distant and Tsubasa couldn’t understand why this sudden change happened. Of course, it wasn’t the time or place for it, but Maria’s eyes were avoiding her and this only tightened the sentinel’s chest with worry. But she pushed these thoughts aside for the time being. If they were to discuss it, it had to happen in private, not while Ogawa and other people were around. 

The three of them walked down the street in an awkward silence. Ogawa felt the heavy tension in the air. He peered at Tsubasa’s posture and then looked at seemingly distant Maria. Both women were engrossed in their own thoughts, keeping a distance from each other. It was rather strange, since he expected a brisk discussion about Ver’s actions or talk about the days they had spent apart, but yet they didn’t say a word to each other. But Ogawa knew better than to try and make them talk. Some problems people could solve only on their own. 

When they walked far enough from the police station to feel safe, Maria stopped and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and relaxing her shoulders. From the moment she stepped out of the jail with Tsubasa she couldn’t say a word. When the effect of the serum weakened, she could finally think rationally and control her sharpened instincts. The realization of her recent doings hit her, planting seeds of guilt in her soul. Even if Tsubasa had allowed her to feed from her before, it was hardly an excuse to assault her like that and to subdue the sentinel to her will and needs. Why didn’t Tsubasa even try to stop her or resist? This was the main question for now. Tsubasa didn’t say or ask anything yet, but Maria could hear her restless heart beat even though she stayed several steps away. It could mean so many things from excitement to fear, that Maria was slowly drowning in assumptions, but yet holding herself back from jumping to any conclusions. She ran her hand through her hair and breathed out, finally opening her eyes. Only a few seconds had passed but it was enough to calm down her nerves and restrain her worries. Maria’s senses were still in a confusing disorder, however little by little she began to distinguish separate things apart from the overall mess. It still was hard to divide everything she felt and sensed at once, yet Tsubasa’s scent and vibes were prominent above everything, even in the open space of the street. It was somehow helping Maria to steady herself as she concentrated on the sentinel’s presence, soothing her nerves. 

She was on her way to catch up with Tsubasa and Ogawa, when she felt several pairs of eyes watching her from the darkness of the alley across the street. An unpleasant shiver ran down her spine as she turned her head and peered into the space, noticing three figures in black clothes. She could now clearly determine the vampiric nature of the strangers even from afar. The trio took a step back, bowing their heads down, as soon as Maria’s heavy gaze fell upon them. Maria humphed thoughtfully, discerning the fear and downright reverence coming from them. The scene was rather strange and unexpected and Maria couldn’t find any rational explanation thus far. 

“Maria?” Tsubasa’s voice distracted Maria from contemplation, switching her attention from the alley to the sentinel standing next to her. “Is there something wrong?” Tsubasa asked with concern, turning her head and looking in the same direction Maria did for a couple of minutes before. She saw nothing but an empty alley and only frowned in puzzlement. 

Maria softly smiled at Tsubasa, pretending that there was nothing to worry about. She didn’t sense the vampires’ presence anymore; there was no need to waste time on them for now if they were not hostile towards them. She knew that Tsubasa would try to run after them immediately after hearing about it, but there were more important things to take care of first. “I noticed some movement over there, but it was just a stray cat.” She chuckled, raising her hand to her mouth, recalling how they met for the first time. A cat was really a plausible explanation that Tsubasa would believe. 

“Are you sure?” Tsubasa frowned deeper, confused by Maria’s sudden change in mood. “I’ll take a look.” She laid her hand on her katana’s hilt, preparing to draw the sword, and headed to the alley. She took only two steps before her hand was caught in the gentle grip of Maria’s fingers, stopping her from moving any further. She turned away only to meet turquoise eyes, seriously looking at her. 

“You won’t find anything there, Tsubasa.” Maria said calmly, stepping closer to the sentinel. When Tsubasa turned her head in the direction of the alley, Maria finally looked at the wound on the younger woman’s neck, left by her teeth. Guilt pierced her chest, as she fully comprehended how rough she was in her moment of need. Maria raised her free hand and carefully moved aside the collar of Tsubasa’s coat to have a closer look. The bleeding might have stopped, but it was still a fresh injury that had to be taken care of. She thought Tsubasa had to be afraid of her now, and she was getting afraid of herself too. Maria ran her fingertips over the bite mark, barely touching the skin, nevertheless this action forced a quiet hiss from Tsubasa’s lips. “I’m sorry.” Maria abruptly pulled her hand back, looking away as shame stung her heart. She deeply cared about Tsubasa, yet had caused her pain over and over again. It was certainly a curse.

“It’s fine.” Tsubasa shook her head, catching Maria’s hand and guiding it back to her neck. The touch of Maria’s chilled fingers felt nice and eased the annoying painful throbbing there. She closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing and enjoying the cool sensation. “How are you feeling? Your hand is colder than usual.” Tsubasa didn’t notice it before, but Maria’s body temperature seemed to be lower than before. Maybe she wouldn’t notice it at all, but Tsubasa was too familiar with these hands and she felt the difference. 

“Despite being tired, I’m feeling good.” Maria slightly tilted her head. For her it was more like Tsubasa was much warmer than usual, but she assumed it was a result of the disorder in her senses. “Maybe it’s because of the cold air.” She weakly shrugged. Her mind was getting too exhausted to think about every small thing and to look for explanations. She simply allowed herself to enjoy the steady pulse of the rhythm under her fingers, letting go of everything else and disengaging from the problems. 

“Ahem.” A timid cough came from afar, catching their attention. “I get it, but maybe it can wait until we get home?” Ogawa asked carefully, smiling at the two women. He felt uncomfortable for interrupting the moment, but standing in the middle of the street wasn’t the best idea. 

“He is right.” Maria chuckled quietly. “Let’s go home and I’ll take care of your wound.” She lowered her head, briefly pressing her lips to Tsubasa’s in a soft kiss. She carefully caressed Tsubasa’s neck with her thumb as she raised her head back up and looked in indigo eyes before pulling her hand back. “We have a lot to discuss.”

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The rest of the journey to Maria’s house went without any extraordinary events. Strange vampire stalkers didn’t appear anymore, or at least Maria couldn’t feel their presence around. She asked herself who these figures could be and why they were watching her. They could’ve been sent by the Association or were independent, yet they were frankly interested in her. But for now she could only hope that this was a one time meeting for today. Welcoming unexpected guests at her house wasn’t in her plans for the evening. 

As they approached, they noticed that the house was empty. All of the lights were off and there were no signs of living beings inside. “Do you know where Kirika and Shirabe are?” Maria asked, looking from Ogawa to Tsubasa and peering into their expressions. With everything that occurred recently she began to worry that something might happen to her friends while they were not around. However, she held her emotions under control, not allowing them to take her over. 

“They probably went to visit Nastassja and check out if Dr. Ver came for her too.” The answer came from Ogawa, whose calm voice slightly eased the tension. “But he doesn’t seem to be interested in her anymore.” He pulled a keychain out of his pocket, stepping closer to the main door. The right key easily slid in the lock, opening it with a quiet click after several turns. He pushed the door open and took a step away, suggesting Maria and Tsubasa to enter first with a polite gesture. “Don’t worry, Maria-san. I’m sure they are capable girls and can escape any troubles.” Ogawa smiled, noticing that his words didn’t help Maria to relax. “But if it’ll ease your mind, I can go and make sure they are safe.” 

Maria slightly frowned, biting the inner side of her lip. She wanted Ogawa to go and look after the girls, but it was impudent and selfish to make him do things that he was not obligated to do. “If it isn’t much of a bother to you…” The words came hesitantly, as she still debated about the relevance of this request. Ogawa was the kind of man who would be glad to help, but she didn’t want to overuse his good nature.

“If it bothers you, I sure will do it.” Ogawa shook his head, shoving the keychain back into his pocket. “Besides, it’s always a pleasure to talk with the professor. She has an interesting point of view about many things.” 

“Thank you.” Maria nodded to Ogawa, accepting his offer with gratitude. She visibly relaxed, knowing that now there was one less thing to worry about. Maybe she should go herself, but now, standing at the doorstep of her own house, mere steps away from a warm bath and soft bed, her fatigue manifested itself with a new strength. It was nice to have people she could rely on. With each new day from the minute they began to work together with Tsubasa and from the moment Ogawa appeared, she appreciated it more and more. “Let’s go, Tsubasa. I will…” Her phrase fell apart as she looked around searching for the sentinel but didn’t see her. She still felt Tsubasa’s presence so strong that she didn’t even notice how she managed to sneak inside while Maria and Ogawa held their conversation. 

“Look for her in the living room.” Ogawa chuckled quietly, amused by Maria’s confused expression. “Tsubasa-san fell asleep on the couch each day since you were arrested. She must be really exhausted by now.” He smiled, stepping closer to Maria and briefly tapping her shoulder with his hand. “By all means, make her sleep in a bed today.” He winked at Maria and headed away, leaving the slightly flushed woman alone with her thoughts. 

When Ogawa disappeared from sight, Maria deeply breathed in the cold night air, listened to the calming rustle of foliage in the breeze, and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind her. It was still dark there since Tsubasa didn’t bother with lighting any lamps, but it didn’t really matter to her. Maria leaned back onto the closed door and shut her eyes. Her shoulders relaxed as she breathed out in relief. It was surprisingly strange to be here again. She had spent only several days away from home, but she began to miss it more than expected. Calmness flew through her, as she opened her eyes and looked around, finally feeling at peace. But it didn’t last for long. She detected a trace of scattered things starting from the hall and it was rather annoying. Tsubasa left her boots carelessly abandoned right in the middle of the way to the living room a few steps aside from each other. A bit further Maria noticed the sentinel’s coat hanging on a chair, too close to falling to the floor. But she couldn’t be really angry at Tsubasa for doing this after the long day she had. 

“You certainly feel at home here now.” She chuckled softly, entering the living room and spotting Tsubasa laying on the couch on her back, just as Ogawa assumed. “I’m surprised it’s not a complete mess here yet.” She teased, noticing a barely traceable pout on Tsubasa’s face. 

“There are more important things to think about, than keeping the perfect order of things.” Tsubasa quietly humphed and turned to her side, facing away from Maria. “I don’t want to put my mind to it.” She mumbled with annoyance, crossing her hands over her chest. She was too tired to worry about the places she left her clothing and Maria’s teasing was rather unseasonable to her. 

Maria quietly laughed with amusement, as she walked closer to the coffee table and took the gas lamp from it. She lit it and set it back in its place, while light filled the space with a dim glow. “Try to not fall asleep yet, please.” She asked Tsubasa with a sad smile on her face, as her gaze again fell to the wound on the sentinel’s neck. “I’ll be right back.” With these words she turned around and walked away, casting a quick glance at Tsubasa. 

As the sound of Maria’s steps faded away, Tsubasa sighed and turned again on her back. Each of her tensed muscles buzzed from exhaustion but she couldn’t force her body to relax. Looking at the ceiling, she raised her hand and ran her fingers over the bite mark on her neck. It was burning and throbbing as if an open flame was brought up too close to her skin. She wanted it to stop, but the touch of her fingers didn’t bring the same relief as Maria’s did earlier. She looked around, searching for anything that could be cold enough. There was nothing else within her reach but her katana, standing pressed to the table. Tsubasa shook her head, trying to cast away the ridiculous idea that came to her mind, but the steel of the sword was supposed to be alluringly cool. She closed her eyes and took several slow breaths, steadying herself and calming down her senses. However, the burning in the wound grew only stronger, making her groan in frustration. Rolling her eyes in disbelief, she sat up on the couch and grabbed her katana in one sharp motion. She drew the blade half way from the sheath and almost brought it up to her neck, as a scared but angry voice made her freeze at place.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Maria exclaimed seeing the strange scene before her. She had just returned with a first aid kit in her hands, but completely forgot about everything the moment she noticed the shine of the blade near Tsubasa’s neck. 

“I…” Tsubasa turned her head to face Maria and opened her mouth to explain what she was doing, but closed it back, as her eyes met furious turquoise ones. She had to choose her words wisely, that’s what the self-preservation instinct told her right away. “My neck is burning. The steel should be cold enough to ease this feeling, at least for a while.” She lowered her hands in defeat, pushing the sword back into the sheath. “I’ve never had any cuts that caused such a reaction before. It feels as if it was set ablaze, or if red-hot steel was pressed to my skin. I want it to stop.” She groaned in irritation throwing the sword to the floor. She didn’t want Maria to worry about it, but she failed to keep how she felt a secret and now could only admit her defeat. 

Maria tightened her grip on the aid kit, pressing her lips together in a thin line. The heavy feeling tightened her chest, as she assumed that all of this was her fault. She walked over and sat down on the couch next to Tsubasa, close enough to carefully press her hip to the sentinel’s. She could feel how strained Tsubasa’s body was and wanted to ease her suffering as much as possible.

“Let me look at it.” Maria said gently, placing the box on the table. She raised her hand and smoothly tossed dark blue locks away from Tsubasa’s neck. She heard a muffled moan of relief as her cold fingers grazed the edge of the wound. The skin under her fingers was unbelievably hot and did not go anywhere near comparison to the state it was in a short time ago. “Does it hurt when I touch it?” She asked softly, carefully sliding her fingertips across the punctures from her teeth. To her confusion the cuts looked like they were half way to disappearing completely. They seemed to not need any treatment already. There had to be an explanation for it, but she couldn’t think of any at the moment. But, it definitely had something to do with the burning sensation Tsubasa experienced.

“No. It actually feels nice…” Tsubasa whispered, relaxing and closing her eyes. Maria’s fingers generously granted her what she needed most - sweet alleviation for her seemingly burning flesh. “Keep doing it.” Tsubasa murmured quietly, tilting her head to the side and leaving herself open to Maria’s touch.

“Why didn’t you resist back then?” Maria whispered as she gently caressed Tsubasa’s skin. This question had bothered her from the very beginning. Tsubasa possessed enough skill and strength to fight back, but she didn’t even say one word in protest.

“I couldn’t. Even if I wanted to, it felt like my will was suppressed by superior power.” Tsubasa answered calmly, simply enjoying the sensation. She had admitted that it was a strange experience, but in the end it didn’t matter since she didn’t want to resist Maria from the start. “There was only the desire to surrender and obey in my head.” 

“I’m sorry, Tsubasa…” The lump in Maria’s throat appeared immediately. “I couldn’t control myself. But it’s a weak excuse.” She smiled sadly, as Tsubasa hummed gratefully when she gently pressed her fingers to the bite mark. “The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.” Tsubasa’s warmth flowed through her hand, inducing a pleasant feeling in her chest. “But I will only keep doing it…” Her voice cracked, as the lump in her throat rose up, making it hard to speak. “This is really a curse.” Maria added quietly, hesitantly pulling her hand off Tsubasa and laying it on her lap. 

As the pleasant sensation disappeared, Tsubasa opened her eyes and turned her head to face Maria. The sorrowful glint in the turquoise eyes made her heart ache. “Don’t blame yourself, Maria.” She pressed her palm on top of Maria’s hand, gently squeezing it. “I knew what I was going to face when I stepped into that cell. Nonetheless, I did it. I couldn’t leave you all alone in that nightmare.” She took Maria’s hand in hers and raised it up to her face, pressing it to her cheek. “I don’t mind you hurting my flesh. I’m willing to follow this path.” She wanted to say more, but suddenly realized what she was doing and her cheeks flushed red immediately, though she didn’t move away. 

“But…We don’t even know how often I’ll need to feed now. I almost don’t feel myself after that serum.” Maria objected immediately. It was mortally dangerous for Tsubasa. What if in this new strange state Maria had less self-control and needed more blood than before? “And what I did to you there…” Maria gritted her teeth tight. She did enjoy it back then, but now her common sense and morals were screaming how wrong it was, fueling her guilt. 

“I’m not afraid of you, Maria.” Timidly, Tsubasa’s fingers slid between Maria’s, interlacing them together. She felt how her heart began to trump rapidly in her chest, as she looked into Maria’s eyes again. She knew that Maria could feel it, and she wanted her to because she couldn’t express everything in words. “And what happened… It felt good.” She sheepishly looked away mumbling, as her cheeks took a dark red tint.

“Tsubasa…” Maria raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Tsubasa’s words were everything but what she expected. She was ready to ask for forgiveness as many times as needed, but in the end she couldn’t find the words to express her happiness. Everything turned out to be much easier than she thought. “Are you a masochist?” Maria chuckled, feeling how a heavy burden fell from her shoulders. Her mind refused to be serious and this was the first thought that came to her. However, teasing had to wait for now. “Never mind.” She smiled and shook her head noticing the confusion on the sentinel’s face. She leaned closer and pressed their foreheads together, slowly caressing Tsubasa’s cheek with her thumb. “You have no idea how happy I am after hearing your words. I can’t even imagine what would happen to me if you turned away…” She whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth under her hand. She deeply loved Tsubasa and there were no doubts about it anymore. 

“I would never.” Tsubasa’s voice sounded quiet yet confident. She intertwined their fingers back together after taking Maria’s hand away from her cheek. “No matter what, I will stay by your side, Maria.” She shortened the distance between them and pressed her lips to Maria’s, sealing her oath with a soft but determined kiss. She put all her feelings into this simple action, reassuring Maria that there was no place for qualms. 

Maria’s heart trembled with joy, as she heard Tsubasa’s words and felt the truth behind them. She could feel that Tsubasa’s heart belonged to her even if it wasn’t declared out loud yet. She reluctantly separated their lips and smirked smugly. “Ogawa mentioned you sleep here on the couch now… From now on you should sleep in a bed again, but it doesn’t mean you should be alone in there.” This time no one could get in the way, since Ogawa and the girls still hadn’t yet come back.

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Maria insisted that Tsubasa should go to the bathroom first since she looked exhausted and needed to rest. Tsubasa was really grateful for this. She had been dreaming about the hot relaxing water from the moment she stepped through the front door. 

Tsubasa bent over the bathtub and immersed her fingers in the warm water, lost in her thoughts. The talk with Maria took a different direction than expected, but there were no regrets about it. However, the most important subject stayed untouched. She wasn’t sure it was a good idea to bring Ver up in the conversation, since Maria was feeling down even without him being mentioned. But it could wait at least until the morning. 

After unfastening all the buttons, Tsubasa took off her shirt, and frowned slightly while examining its state. There were spots of blood near the collar, which looked like they would be a big trouble to clean off. With a sigh she dropped the shirt on the floor, deciding that it wasn’t worth enough to worry too much about it. Her pants and underwear followed right away, falling next to the shirt on the floor. 

With a sigh of relief Tsubasa lowered her body into the bathtub, enjoying the warm caressing sensation all over her skin. Her muscles finally relaxed, as she surrendered to the gentle embrace of water. The burning on her neck almost disappeared, leaving behind only slight discomfort, which could be easily ignored. She felt at peace for the first time in many days. Now that Maria was free and well, she didn’t need to rack her mind about ways to get her out of jail. There was still a threat from the side of the Association and the unpredictable delusional doctor, but at least for this evening she didn’t want to think about them. 

Tsubasa exhaled slowly as her fingers ran over the skin of her chest. The soothing sensation was pleasant and relaxing. Suddenly her mind traveled back in time, summoning the memory of Maria’s hand roaming over her body. Tsubasa’s cheeks flushed red, as her eyes widened in disbelief of her own thoughts.  _ “Was I really unable to resist?”  _ She asked herself silently, slightly clenching the hand on her chest into a fist over her heart.  _ “Or did I really not want to?”  _ She felt how her heart began to tremble as she recalled the possessive aura Maria radiated at the time. It was a fascinating feeling.  _ “It’s easier to explain with her vampire nature but…” _ Tsubasa gulped nervously, hesitating to continue the thought. Yes, she had enjoyed it, so denying it and looking for excuses were acts of cowardice.  _ “I… wanted to be hers.. _ .” Her heart trumped in her chest, as she allowed herself to admit her wish. 

Tsubasa opened her palm and musingly slid it down from her chest to her stomach, feeling a shiver run through her body. She breathed slower with each detail recalled from the memory, closing her eyes and biting the inside of her lower lip. Her body reacted to the thoughts by igniting the flame of desire in her belly. If she only dared to tell Maria how badly she wanted to feel her touches again. These thoughts were indecent in so many ways, shattering all foundations and pride of the Kazanari clan, but it was so appealing. The fluttering in the pit of her stomach grew stronger, responding to the light caresses of her fingers. She abruptly stopped her hand almost at the very pit of her abdomen and sharply pulled it back. “What am I doing?!” She groaned in frustration and splashed her face with water, throwing away all of the inappropriate ideas. She cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, realizing that she exclaimed these words out loud.

A knock at the door came out of nowhere, making Tsubasa wince in surprise. “Why are you yelling at yourself?” Maria’s voice came from behind the door. She brought clean clothes for Tsubasa, since the sentinel forgot to take them, but was caught off guard by the sudden irritated exclamation. Tsubasa certainly was frustrated by something and now Maria was curious what the reason for that was. “I brought your clothes.” A smug smirk curved Maria’s lips, though she did everything to make her voice sound as neutral as possible. “May I come in?” 

“Um…Yeah.” Tsubasa answered hesitantly, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks. As soon as the door opened, she fussily crossed her arms over her chest and bent her knees, shyly lowering her eyes. From the moment Maria stepped in and walked to the bench near the wall Tsubasa couldn’t dare to raise her eyes. She tried to calm down her pounding heart by breathing steadily, but all her attempts failed as Maria moved closer.

“Do you feel dizzy? It looks like you are getting overheated.” Maria pronounced with concern in her voice, reaching her hand to Tsubasa’s head. She slid her fingers across the sentinel’s forehead, and firmly pressed her palm there. “No, you seem to be fine.” She smiled with amusement, taking her hand off. 

“Of course I’m fine.” Tsubasa blurted out, frowning and trying to make a serious expression, but her cheeks burned bright red, giving away her real state. She glanced at Maria only to notice a smirk on the older woman’s face which made her heart skip a beat immediately. In a different situation she might get her emotions under control, but not now when her mind was filled with indecent thoughts. 

“When you are done, head to my room and make yourself comfortable.” Maria said calmly. She appreciated the view before her eyes and wished to enjoy it longer, but had to hold back. She took a deep fortifying breath, pushing back the urge to touch Tsubasa again. She licked her lips, enjoying how tempting the naked and defenseless sentinel looked right now. 

“S-sure.” Tsubasa mumbled nervously, feeling how a strong predatory aura appeared around Maria. Maybe she could just tell her what she wanted? She opened her mouth indecisively, but closed it again right away. It was impossible to pronounce even one word, as the breath got caught in her throat. Her ability to think and breathe returned to her only when Maria closed the door behind herself. Tsubasa didn’t even notice how she left, leaving the sentinel alone again with her thoughts. 

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Tsubasa placed the lamp on the bedside table, sat on the large bed and thoughtfully ran her fingers on the covers, following its pattern. It felt quite awkward to stay alone in Maria’s room while the older woman was enjoying her turn in the bathroom. She shook her head and harshly stood up. “ _ Calm down, Kazanari Tsubasa!”  _ She ordered herself, clenching her fists. Heart was trembling nervously, and she could do nothing about it. Soon she was supposed to be in one bed with Maria. Tsubasa took a deep breath which didn’t bring any relaxation, and lowered her head in defeat. 

The time was passing annoyingly slow and, as ill luck would have it, there was nothing to do to distract Tsubasa’s mind from the thoughts. She tried to measure the room with her steps, looked out the window, looked through the books on the shelf, but nothing helped. When the last possible activity was finished, she groaned quietly and pulled the cover from the bed. Relaxing on the soft sheets should have been her first choice from the start, and she scolded herself for not doing it earlier. She took her pants off, still remaining in her shirt, and climbed under the blanket. A quiet groan of pleasure escaped her lips as her muscles relaxed and enjoyed the softness of the mattress. She would never admit it, but after sleeping on the couch for several days, finally laying on the bed was comparable to getting to heaven. 

As Tsubasa rested her head on the pillow, the door opened, forcing her to raise her head again. In the doorway stood Maria in only her white shirt that barely reached the middle of her thighs. The upper button remained unfastened, leaving the beginning of the ravine between her breasts visible. Tsubasa suddenly felt her throat go dry and she hurried to gulp, trying to get rid of this feeling. Her eyes traveled downward, appreciating the curves of Maria’s body. Tsubasa caught herself on the thought that she wanted to feel all of them under her hands.

“You didn’t fall asleep yet?” Maria asked with surprise in her voice, entering the room and closing the door behind her. She expected to find Tsubasa seeing a third dream already after such a long exhausting day, but she was wrong. She sat on the empty side of the bed, stretching her hands up. “I missed my bed every day in that damn cell.” She said, falling back onto the pillow and sneaking under the blanket. “Not like I expected anything better there, but…” Her words were interrupted by a sudden yawn. “Don’t stare! It’s embarrassing.” A slight pink tint covered her face as she noticed how Tsubasa looked into her mouth, probably looking at her fangs. 

“Sorry. It seems to me that your fangs became longer.” Tsubasa answered, slightly frowning. She wanted to say before that Maria’s bite felt different, but thought it was just a trick of her imagination. “Don’t you feel the difference?” 

Maria hummed, running her tongue over her teeth and recalling the sensation it had been giving before. “Not really. She shook her head. “Maybe a bit when I clench them.” She grinned at Tsubasa, demonstrating her teeth. This simple action caused an amusing reaction. Maria clearly heard how the rhythm of Tsubasa’s heartbeat quickened. The red tint on the sentinel’s cheeks also didn’t escape her attention. “What are you thinking about?” Maria asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“N-nothing.” Tsubasa cleared her throat and looked away. How could she admit out loud that the sight bewitched her and caused the need to feel these fangs on her skin once again? And not just that, she needed much more. 

Maria pushed herself up, leaned over on one elbow, and looked down at Tsubasa. She raised her free hand and touched the sentinel’s chin with her fingers, pushing it slightly to make Tsubasa look at her. She noticed a glint of panic in the indigo eyes beneath her, but it only cemented her amusement and curiosity. “Doesn’t look like nothing. Maybe you want to tell me something?” She noticed how Tsubasa’s eyebrows slightly twitched upward in surprise and the rhythm of her pulse rapidly increased as she asked this simple question. The heat emanating from the body next to her was becoming too alluring. She leaned closer, pressing her lush thigh to Tsubasa’s in order to feel this growing warmth. 

“It’s just…” Tsubasa’s words cracked around a quiet whimper as she felt the pressure on her leg. Her tensed body became too sensitive, enthralled by her own thoughts and desires, and now she didn’t know how to stop it. “Maria…” She swallowed hard as her throat became terribly dry. Her eyes slid down Maria’s face and stopped on her appealing lips that curved into a soft smile. 

“What is it, Tsubasa?” Maria licked her lips, noticing where Tsubasa’s gaze fell. She slid her fingers from the sentinel’s chin to her throat, teasingly trailing them down. “You can tell me anything.” She whispered with a smirk on her lips, gently pressing her forefinger between Tsubasa’s collarbones.

“I want to…” Tsubasa felt how the heat crawled up from her collar and became too unbearable to endure. She groaned quietly in frustration at her own indecision and hesitation. Harshly she reached her hand out to Maria and wrapped it around her waist, dragging her closer and claiming her lips in an ardent kiss. “...feel you.” She added after pulling back from the kiss and looking at Maria. Affection and yearning glinted in her eyes. 

Maria said nothing in response and tossed the blanket aside. Tsubasa’s action ignited the passion which she tried to hold back up until this moment and there were no words to express it. She pressed their lips together once more, parting Tsubasa’s lips with her tongue. The younger woman willingly allowed Maria to explore her mouth and pressed her fingers on the small of Maria’s back and pulled her closer. A muffled whimper reached Maria’s ears as she pressed her tongue against Tsubasa’s hot one. She growled quietly as she felt the vibration of the sound released into her mouth. She glided her hand down to Tsubasa’s chest, searching for the buttons of her shirt. As soon as she found them, Maria artfully popped them out of their holes one by one, leaving the shirt sprung open. 

Tsubasa slid her hand down, following the curve of Maria’s body to her thigh. She ran her fingers over the muscles there and then squeezed greedily, slightly digging her nails into soft skin. Her chest tightened with desire and her lungs began to burn with the need for air, but she didn’t want to separate their lips, so she deepened the kiss into a fiercer one. 

Maria pulled back from the heavily breathing Tsubasa and looked at the woman beneath her. A pleased smile curved her lips as she noticed the slightly dilated pupils of darkened indigo eyes full of ardor. She laid her palm flat on Tsubasa’s chest directly above the heart, now enjoying the absence of any obstacles between their skin. The delightful heat teased her senses along with the entrancing heartbeat, which awakened her instincts once again. 

Tsubasa felt how the need inside her was enhancing with each touch of Maria’s cool fingers upon her hot skin. A shiver ran through her body after each teasing yet tender caress. She pressed her thighs together, feeling the swell of the heat between them. Maria was playing with her when she was already at the edge of raw need. She raised her hand and placed it on Maria’s shoulder, preparing to push her back and roll on top of her, but the older woman outstripped her, firmly pinning Tsubasa to the bed. 

The dim red light sparkled in turquoise eyes, freezing Tsubasa in place. She gasped as Maria’s hand traveled down on her torso, exploring the toned muscles of her stomach. The hand continued its journey back up to her chest, dragging nails against soft skin. A low moan escaped Tsubasa’s throat as soon as Maria’s fingers found the swell of her breast, reaching its peak. 

Maria descended her head closer to Tsubasa’s chest, breathing in the alluring scent of the sentinel. She pressed her soft lips to the valley between the sentinel’s breasts and smiled, feeling how Tsubasa’s breath quickened immediately. She slightly squeezed the breast in her palm, and trailed her tongue to the other one, encasing the pink bud with her lips. Tsubasa moaned loudly as Maria’s tongue flicked against her nipple, then teasingly swirled around it. 

It was happening again. Tsubasa felt how her determination faded away little by little, giving way to the fog of desire that covered her mind.  _ “Was it Maria’s power after all?” _ She tried to ask herself, but the pleasant sensation took over her, cutting off all attempts to think. Tsubasa buried her fingers into coral locks and slightly arched her back, pressing herself closer to Maria. Suddenly her breath stuttered as Maria released her breast from her grip and the cold fingers teasingly ran across her abdomen, reaching the waistband of her panties. They were so close to where she wanted them most, but yet so far. A guttural groan rumbled in her throat as Maria glided her hand down to the inner side of Tsubasa’s thigh. 

Maria released Tsubasa’s breast from her mouth and looked up at her with an innocent smile. Tsubasa was frustrated, but it only made Maria more excited as she could already sense and smell the arousal of the woman she loved. “Is something wrong, Tsubasa?” She asked calmly, still caressing the inner side of the sentinel’s thigh. “You seem to be impatient.” She added in a husky voice, lowering her head and attending to Tsubasa’s breasts once more. She claimed another breast in her mouth, pressing her teeth to the nipple, earning a loud moan from Tsubasa. Her hand traced up, searching for the fabric of the sentinel’s panties. Once she found it, her fingertips slid across soaked material, forcing another ringing moan out of Tsubasa’s throat. She pressed her fingers more firmly, causing a tremble in her lover’s body. Maria smiled at this thought. Tsubasa was finally her lover and now she wanted to enjoy this moment. 

“M-Maria…” Tsubasa breathed out, pressing her fingers to Maria’s head and pulling her closer. The tantalizing sensation overwhelmed her, pushing her to beg for more. But every time she tried to say something, her words were shuttered by gasps and moans. Her body twitched in response to every brief touch of these skillful fingers and tongue, destroying her sense of reality. 

Maria raised her eyes up to Tsubasa’s face while still torturing a nipple in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it. Tsubasa was looking at her through half-lidded eyes glinting with a silent plea in them. Maria pulled back from the breast and smirked at Tsubasa, hooking her fingers under the waistband of the sentinel’s panties. With her free hand, she pushed herself up onto her knees. Using both of her now free hands, Maria grabbed the obstacle of fabric and pulled it down. To her delight Tsubasa raised her pelvis, making the task much easier. As the piece of underwear was now long gone, Maria could smell the enticing scent of arousal more distinctly. She swallowed in anticipation, feeling the urge to taste the very essence of Tsubasa. 

Maria laid her palms on the inner side of Tsubasa’s thighs once more, and spread them with a gentle push. A quiet whimper caught her attention and she reluctantly looked up from the inviting sight before her eyes to view Tsubasa’s face. 

A bright red tint covered the sentinel’s cheeks as Tsubasa looked away, avoiding Maria’s eyes. The anticipation mixed with embarrassment sent a tremble through Tsubasa’s body. Maria’s hungry eyes made her shiver and her breath became curt as she wasn’t able to withstand Maria’s gaze. But yet, she sheepishly returned her gaze to Maria and met turquoise eyes full of affection and desire. 

Maria descended closer to Tsubasa’s belly, placing a kiss below her navel then moving down while sliding the tip of her nose over the silky skin. Maria’s senses went crazy as she reached the source of alluring heat and breathed in the scent of arousal. She breathed slowly through her open mouth, enjoying this moment before getting what she wanted the most. Her tongue darted out as she leaned closer, shortening the distance between them, and slid it over the length of the slit before her. Pleased by a loud whimper, she pressed her lips more firmly to the hot center, striving to hear more. 

As she felt the soft and wet pressure of Maria’s mouth, Tsubasa gasped sharply and clamped the fabric of the sheets between her fingers. The pleasant sensation flew from her belly, coercing her to grind against Maria’s mouth begging for more. The slick tongue delved into hot depth, caressing all within its reach. She shut her eyes tight and threw her head back, releasing a loud moan and fully succumbing to pleasure. Feeling tension in the pit of her stomach begin to build, she raised her hand to her mouth, biting the phalanx of her forefinger. Suddenly Maria stopped and pulled away. 

“I want to hear all the sounds clearly.” Maria’s voice sounded calmly, but yet imperiously as if her words were immutable law that had to be obeyed. “Sing for me, Tsubasa.” She said with a delighted smile on her face, observing how the sentinel obediently removed the hand away from her mouth. These fascinating sounds Tsubasa was making were causing a pleasant tremble in Maria’s chest. She wanted to hear all of them, without missing even a single one. 

“Maria…” Tsubasa pronounced weakly, looking at her lover. Her vision was now slightly blurry, but she could still see Maria clearly enough. Her breath stuttered in betrayal as she tried to speak more. Her hot body suffered from tension that begged for release, but Maria stopped, turning it into unbearable torture. 

“What is it, Tsubasa?” Maria asked with a soft smile on her face. She knew what Tsubasa needed and was eager to give it, but hearing it out loud would bring additional pleasure. 

Was Maria really expecting her to explain? Tsubasa glanced at the older woman. Maria kept smiling at her awaiting an answer. After a few deep breaths, she managed to regain the ability to talk for a brief moment. “I want to be yours....” She mumbled, looking at Maria with a silent plea in her eyes. She didn’t feel the pressure of the possessive aura anymore and could be sure her words were not forced out of her. 

Maria’s heart skipped a beat, as she heard Tsubasa’s words and a pleasant warmth filled her chest. It was more than she expected to hear right now. She leaned closer, pressing a tender kiss between the sentinel’s thighs, earning a lasting moan. The pressure of the trembling fingers on her head pushed her closer. Maria brought her hand closer to Tsubasa’s core, slightly pressing her fingers to the entrance. By the tender move of her fingers the lower lips were spread apart, allowing Maria to slide her middle finger inside. 

Tsubasa’s hips bucked slightly in response, as she felt the chill finger delving into her hot depths. She buried her fingers into Maria’s hair, digging her nails into the skin there. Maria’s tongue swept upward, reaching the sensitive bundle of nerves and assaulting it. Tsubasa felt the throbbing at the pit of her abdomen growing stronger as Maria’s tongue teasingly circled around her clit. 

Maria gently began to build a slow pace, pumping her finger in and out of Tsubasa’s center. The sentinel thrust her hips forward, following the rhythm she set, begging for more. Maria’s passion was fueled by the moans and gasps that reached her ears as she slid one more finger inside, quickening the pace. She flicked her tongue on Tsubasa’s clit, sending a shockwave through her body. Maria hooked her free arm around Tsubasa’s thigh to hold her solidly in place, as she felt how the grip on her hair tightened.

Tsubasa closed her eyes, completely giving herself away to the pleasant sensation spreading from her belly. She began to lose control over her body, but it didn’t bother her at all. She allowed it to ensue Maria’s movements, succumbing to the older woman completely. With each stroke upon her inner walls, Tsubasa grew closer to a climax. The sentinel’s thighs tensed and her back reflexively arched as Maria curved her fingers within her. After a few more strokes, Tsubasa released a cry of pleasure, shutting her eyes tight, as muscles clenched around her lover and the heat mingled with pleasure spilled from her abdomen all across her body. When the aftershocks calmed, she relaxed back into the softness of the bed, breathing deep and heavy. 

Maria reluctantly pulled her fingers out of the hot depth and shifted up to her knees. She peered at the panting woman before her, appreciating the captivating view. Tsubasa’s blue hair splayed across the pillow, though some locks stuck to her sweaty face. Her sprung open shirt covered her shoulders and arms, framing the delicate and bare front of her body. Seeing Tsubasa in such a state brought the pleasant feeling of satisfaction into her chest. She brought her hand up to her face, meeting the indigo eyes that were looking at her through half closed eyelids, and licked the fingers which were inside Tsubasa a moment ago. This taste was incomparable to anything else and she wanted to enjoy every bit of it. The slight flavor of blood made her close her eyes in delight. 

“You are fascinating, Tsubasa.” The affection and tenderness overflowed in Maria’s tone. She crawled on top of Tsubasa, granting her lips a slow lasting kiss, while pressing their bodies together. She slightly winced in surprise as the sentinel eagerly returned the kiss, laying her hands on the sides of Maria’s waist. 

“Persuasion power is unfair, Maria.” Tsubasa pulled away from the kiss and licked her lips. She could taste herself on Maria’s lips and it infatuated her, kindling the fire of passion with a new vigor. “Even if you use it subconsciously.” She slid her hands further up, examining the curves of Maria’s sides. Tsubasa caught herself on realization that she didn’t mind this little trick Maria did to her mind, but only if it wasn’t done accidentally. 

“Are you looking for an excuse now?” Maria pushed herself up, pressing her hands to the bed on the sides of Tsubasa. She chuckled, smirking down at her lover. If it was a joke, Tsubasa definitely was getting better at making them. Why would she have such abilities? A slight shudder distracted Maria from her thoughts as Tsubasa’s hot fingers ran across her belly, moving the fabric of her shirt and blazing a trail upward . “Don’t try to tell me that I’ve forced you into it.” She said quietly, closing her eyes and enjoying the warm sensation on her skin. These timid fingers moved immensely slow, carefully exploring every inch on their way. 

“Never.” Confidence filled Tsubasa’s husky voice, as she uttered this word before pressing her lips to Maria’s. “It was my own wish.” She whispered, separating from Maria for a brief moment. She leaned in for another kiss but suddenly groaned, realizing that her hands couldn’t move freely since the buttoned shirt was still covering the body that she wanted to touch so badly. 

“Need some help?” Maria asked with a glint of amusement in her eyes. Tsubasa’s nervous attempts to deal with the stubborn buttons were rather charming. Despite a light tremble in her hands, the sentinel obstinately unfastened one after another, cutely frowning in the process. “Stop thinking so much, Tsubasa.” She whispered, touching Tsubasa’s wrist and sliding her fingers along her arm in a soothing caress. This simple motion seemed to have the desired effect. Maria felt how these shy hands stopped their tremble, finally finding some confidence. 

As the last button popped out of its hole, the shirt fell open, giving Tsubasa the full access she needed. For a moment she froze with her hands half way to Maria’s stomach, beholding the enticing swells before her. Her breath slowed down, as she pressed her palms to Maria’s ribs, then slowly slid them against her sides. She switched her attention back to Maria’s face, meeting the turquoise eyes and seeing them simmer with desire. Her hands finally cupped the lush breasts, as a shiver immediately ran through her body. The softness under her fingers was incomparable to anything she had felt before. She timidly caressed and squeezed the alluring mounds , while attentively peering into Maria’s expression. 

_ “Does she even realize what a tease she is?”  _ Maria asked herself, pinching her lower lip between her teeth and carefully breathing out. The pressure of Tsubasa’s hands on her breasts was pleasant but at the same time so tantalizing. Maria half closed her eyes, feeling how the muscles of her hands strained, as the sentinel clamped the nubs of her breasts between her fingers. She looked at Tsubasa through half-lidded eyelashes and subconsciously smiled, noticing the concentrated and expecting gaze of azure eyes on her face. A shiver ran down her spine in response to another firm squeeze at her nipples. Maria wanted more, but Tsubasa was too shy in her actions and seemed to need a push. She descended closer to Tsubasa’s face, pressing their lips together giving her lover an encouraging and lasting kiss. A guttural groan rumbled in her throat, as she felt how Tsubasa’s hot tongue invaded her mouth in a determined onslaught. 

Tsubasa gained more confidence as the chest beneath her hands began to surge along with the increasing rhythm of Maria’s breath. She released one of the lush mounds from her fingers and propped herself up with an elbow, thrusting Maria back and making her shift onto her knees that were pressed to the bed on both sides of Tsubasa. Maria released a surprised whimper into her mouth, as she pressed their bodies together, deepening the kiss. The passion and desire to please Maria eventually took over, moving aside all of Tsubasa’s hesitation. She laid her hand on Maria’s hip and glided it down to the thigh, dragging her nails over smooth skin. 

Maria rested her hands on Tsubasa’s shoulders, gripping the fabric of her shirt. This little hurdle between her and the warm skin was quite annoying. She slid her palms onto the sentinel’s chest and shoved her fingers under the shirt, brushing the obstructing material off of her shoulders. Tsubasa lowered her hands, helping Maria to get rid of her last piece of clothing. As soon as it was gone, Maria was ready to wrap her arms around Tsubasa, but was stopped by a tug on her own shirt. 

“Take yours off too.” Tsubasa asked, pulling away from a kiss and breathing hard. She laid her hands onto her lover’s hips, caressing them slowly. The sentinel’s eyes hungrily watched Maria’s motions, devouring each inch of the marble skin revealed from under the fabric, as the older woman shook the shirt off her shoulders and let it fall down onto the bed. 

Maria felt how the tremble in her belly turned into a tensed sensation, as Tsubasa lowered her head to Maria’s neck, pulling her closer. Tsubasa’s hot tongue traced over the carotid, mimicking the same action she did before each bite, followed by the pressure of soft lips on the sensitive skin. Maria tilted her head back, allowing Tsubasa to lay a tender bite there. She pressed her fingers to the nape of the sentinel’s neck, sliding them up and burrowing into the hair there. Another low moan escaped from her lips, as she felt a tongue flick above her collarbone. 

Inspired by the bewitching sounds her lover was making, Tsubasa ran her fingertips up and down Maria’s sides. She carefully tried to interpret each reaction and figure out what she should do next, but little by little she got lost in the flow of sensations. Maria’s heady scent, captivating curves and entrancing moans were all together drawing Tsubasa closer into a lustful insanity. Suddenly she felt a persistent pressure on her head, as Maria pushed herself up a bit, demanding for Tsubasa to attend to her breasts. With a quiet groan, Tsubasa obeyed the forceful hand and lowered her head down, pressing her lips to the lush swell before her. She traced several kisses over it, before reaching its peak and claiming it by her mouth. Her hand laid on the other breast, squeezing its nub between her fingers. The melodic moan rang in her ears as she began to eagerly lick and suck the nipple in her mouth. 

Maria wrapped her arm around Tsubasa’s neck, still pulling her head closer with the other one while digging her nails into the skin there. She firmly pressed her fingers to the sentinel’s back, as she felt the gentle pressure of teeth on her nipple. A shiver ran through her body with each stroke of the hot wet tongue over her sensitive skin, making her gasp for air more often. The flame in her abdomen burned stronger, fueled by the caresses of Tsubasa’s fingers. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation Tsubasa’s mouth was giving her, but yet she needed more. Tsubasa’s diligent actions awoke the raw need that demanded a release. She began to think that it was payback for her teasing earlier, but it was hardly a thing Tsubasa could do. 

Maria dropped her hand from Tsubasa’s hair and caught Tsubasa’s wrist with it. She slid her fingertips over Tsubasa’s knuckles, guiding the sentinel’s hand down her belly and to her groin. A slight tremble ran through Tsubasa’s body, when her fingers felt the soaked fabric of Maria’s panties under them. A languid moan escaped Maria’s throat, as she felt the pressure of Tsubasa’s fingers where she needed them the most. She dug her nails into the skin of the sentinel’s hand, giving her lover a hint to continue. 

Tsubasa’s heart skipped a beat as she realized what Maria was asking of her. She released the breast out of her mouth and looked at her lover’s face, with a silent question in her eyes. A silent nod was the answer she received in return. She slowly gulped, peering into Maria’s expression, and anticipation and need in the turquoise eyes gave her the confidence to continue. Tsubasa’s fingers timidly touched the edge of the panties, hooking under the fabric and moving it aside. She slid her fingers over the length of Maria’s slit, feeling the warm seeping moisture all over it. She kept teasingly exploring her lover’s core, earning low moans with each touch, Maria’s hips began to move following her motions, trying to coax these torturing fingers to give her more. 

“Tsubasa…” Maria said huskily, with an unvoiced plea filling her words. She already had no strength to say more. Words were cracking around gasps and a deep mist covered her mind. She wrapped both of her arms around Tsubasa, pulling her closer as she felt how her lover’s fingers delved deep inside of her. Her hips began to move on their own, providing Tsubasa with the rhythm she needed right now. She shut her eyes tight as Tsubasa pressed her thumb to her clit, sending a shockwave through her body. Maria pressed her nose to Tsubasa’s neck, to better breath in her alluring scent. The urge to taste blood simmered in her, strengthening along with the tension in her abdomen. 

Tsubasa pumped her fingers docilely following the rhythm set by Maria’s movements. She wrapped her free arm around the older woman’s waist, pressing their bodies closer together and holding her firmly. The moans near her ear drove her crazy, as she kept caressing the hot insides of the woman she loved. “Bite me, Maria.” Tsubasa whispered into Maria’s ear, tilting her head to the side. She wanted to feel this sensation again, right at this moment. “You want it too, don’t you?” She asked quietly, feeling Maria’s breath quicken against the skin of her neck. 

Maria opened her mouth, lingering for a moment, and then in one sharp motion pierced Tsubasa’s flesh with her fangs, feeling the tremble under her lips, caused by the sentinel’s moan. As the taste of blood filled her mouth and ran down her throat, her muscles tensed, readying for her own release. She moaned loudly, releasing Tsubasa’s neck from the grip of her jaw and dug her nails into her lover’s back, as pleasure washed over her body, spreading out from its source in her belly. She felt the strong hold of Tsubasa’s arm on her waist, which protectively kept her in place. As the tremble in her muscles slowly faded, a pleased smirk curved her lips and she pushed Tsubasa back onto the bed, laying atop of her. She lowered her head and licked the blood from the sentinel’s neck, pressing her tongue to the wound and enjoying the quiet whimper caused by it. 

Maria rolled onto her side and wrapped her arm around Tsubasa’s waist, pulling her closer. The younger woman looked pleased but tired, with her half closed eyes and a weak smile playing on her lips. Without saying a word, Maria pressed Tsubasa’s head to her chest, running her fingers through blue locks in a soothing motion. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, listening to Tsubasa’s heartbeat. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blood and fire. Another legend comes to life?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.  
> I'm not dead. This update took so long for many reasons. This chapter wasn't easy one to write, but it's finally done.  
> Thanks everyone who helped me with it.

It was almost past noon when Maria finally began to wake up. She felt the warmth of Tsubasa’s body pressed into her and the tickle of slow breath on her skin. Maria opened her eyes and looked down at Tsubasa’s face. She slept peacefully, pressing her cheek against Maria’s shoulder. Tsubasa’s arm wrapped around Maria’s waist and protectively held Maria close to her, as if she was afraid that her beloved could disappear. 

Maria raised her hand and carefully brushed away strands of blue hair from Tsubasa’s face. Her fingers lingered a little longer to gently caress Tsubasa’s warm cheek before sliding down to the soft lips. She traced her fingertips down to Tsubasa’s neck, touching the bite mark. The sight of it induced a feeling of satisfaction in her. She now saw the mark as proof that Tsubasa belonged to her.

There were several ideas in Maria’s mind about how she wanted to wake up her lover, but it wasn’t too difficult to choose only one. Maria placed her fingers under Tsubasa’s chin and nudged her face up, while leaning in closer for a kiss. She felt how Tsubasa instinctively pulled her in and firmly pressed her fingers to her side.

Tsubasa reluctantly opened her eyes, feeling the soft pressure on her lips. She blinked several times, trying to understand where she was and what was happening to her in the moment. Her eyebrows twitched up as memories of the previous night flashed in her mind. She felt her cheeks begin to burn and her heartbeat quicken. 

Maria pulled away from the kiss and looked at Tsubasa with a smirk on her face. “Good morning, Tsubasa.” She traced her fingers down to Tsubasa’s neck, enjoying the heat radiating from Tsubasa’s skin. Her blood began simmering as she listened to the heart beat she loved so much.

“M-morning, Maria.” Tsubasa mumbled in response as Maria’s touch sent a shiver through her body. “Your hands are cold.” She covered Maria’s hand with her palm, gently squeezing it. She propped herself up and looked at Maria with deep concern as she rubbed her thumb over the cool skin of Maria’s hand. “How do you feel?” Yesterday she didn’t pay much attention to the change, believing that it was just part of her imagination, but Maria definitely felt colder than usual. It surely had to do something with Ver’s serum, but Tsubasa could only guess what exactly that substance could do. 

“Perfect. Like I woke up in a completely new world.” Maria pulled Tsubasa back down, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. She hadn’t felt this rested and full of energy in years. Her senses were finally under her complete control and she could feel everything more clearly than before. “It feels like something was muffling my senses before, and now it’s gone for good.” Maria slowly breathed in and then smirked. She could feel even the smallest of things without much effort, but right now all of her senses were directed at Tsubasa. “Your scent is even more enticing now. I can still feel notes of your flavor on my lips.” Maria licked her lips, while sliding her fingers down the curve of Tsubasa’s side. “I want to taste you again, Tsubasa.” She felt Tsubasa gulp as her breath stuttered for a moment.

“Maria!” Tsubasa relented and pressed her bright red cheek to Maria’s chest in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, yet she knew it was impossible to hide it from Maria. “It’s important. The effect of the serum...” She tried to protest and bring the conversation back to the serious topic, but was interrupted by the teasing stroke of Maria’s fingers up and down her spine. A fluttering feeling appeared in Tsubasa’s belly immediately as she felt the touch reach the small of her back. 

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” In one swift move, Maria rolled on top of Tsubasa and looked down at her. She locked their eyes together and saw the flare of passion in the indigo eyes. “Screw the world, Ver and the Association.” She leaned closer, pressing their bodies together. Maria stopped herself just half of an inch away from Tsubasa’s lips. The soft breath on her skin only strengthened her desire to forget about all of their problems and ignore the entire world. “I want to stop chasing the shadows for now and just enjoy life.” She captured Tsubasa’s lips in a tender kiss. Maria eagerly slid her tongue into Tsubasa’s mouth, earning a quiet moan from her. She felt the confident grip of Tsubasa’s hands on her thighs, which eagerly pulled her closer. 

A sudden knock on the door caught their attention. “Maria, is Tsubasa-san with you?” They both recognized Shirabe’s voice right away and reluctantly broke from their kiss. Tsubasa looked at Maria with a silent question in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if they should answer honestly or just pretend that she was not there. Their attraction to each other was hardly a secret to anyone already, but being caught by the younger girl in Maria’s bed still seemed to be too embarrassing for her. 

“Yes, she is here.” Maria answered quickly and then descended her head again, pressing her lips to Tsubasa’s neck, then sliding her tongue over the throbbing carotid. Even without the urge to feed, she felt an irresistible attraction to that spot. The throbbing of the pulse there teased her, asking for another bite. She smiled, feeling how a shiver ran through Tsubasa’s body, followed by a quiet whimper.

“Ogawa-san is looking for her” Shirabe’s timid voice appeared again as an unpleasant distraction. “He said it’s important.” 

Maria groaned, as her irritation grew stronger with each second. She pushed herself up and turned her head to the door. “Tell him that we’ll be down soon.” She barely managed to make her words sound calm, while holding back deep frustration. As the steps behind the door faded away, she fell to her side and sighed in disappointment. “I’m starting to consider moving back home. It’s getting crowded here and I hate being interrupted all the time.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “The mansion needs some repair, but it’s a nice place.” Before, she thought that she would never return to her old house, neither call it home again, but maybe it really was possible now. To start all anew there with Tsubasa. She didn’t even notice as a smile appeared across her lips.

“Why are you smiling?” Tsubasa’s voice sounded confused, as she tried to understand the reason for the sudden change in Maria’s mood. She frowned, helplessly looking for an answer, but couldn’t find any. Tsubasa knew why Maria didn’t want to live in the mansion. After what happened there it was the only logical decision, but now she wanted to move back there again and even smiled at the idea. It was beyond Tsubasa’s comprehension.

“Because for the first time I’m thinking about the real future, not just some vengeance.” Maria stood up from the bed and stretched her hands upward. Her body felt so pleasantly easy and relaxed that she almost forgot about the bitter interruption and abrupt change in plans. “But first we should get ready for the day.” She walked across the room to the window and opened the curtains. 

Bright sunlight filled the room and Maria hissed, immediately covering her face with her palm. The burning sensation pierced her eyes like red-hot needles. She carefully tried to open her eyes again, slowly, but the effect was still the same. She growled in frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“What’s wrong, Maria?” Tsubasa immediately jumped from the bed and rushed to Maria. It took her a few moments to understand exactly what was going on. 

“The light is too bright.” Maria answered, trying to keep her voice calm. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with a bit more strength, while slowly breathing out. She didn’t want to worry Tsubasa over it too much, but this seemed to be impossible. The increased rate of Tsubasa’s pulse disclosed that Tsubasa was already concerned and Maria could clearly feel it. “Can you close the curtains?” 

“Of course.” Tsubasa swiftly grabbed the fabric and roughly pulled it shut. As the dense material nipped out the sun’s rays, she turned around and looked back at Maria. “Better?” 

“A bit.” Maria frowned, reluctantly opening her eyes. Now she didn’t have the same reaction as before, but the unpleasant feeling stayed. She blinked several times, trying to focus her gaze. Little by little the blurry silhouettes became clearer again. 

“Has this ever happen before?” In a quick moment Tsubasa became serious, examining Maria’s face and briefly looking over her body. She recalled the knowledge about vampires from her memory. In the legends they were supposed to burn in the sunlight, but there were no traces of sunburn on Maria’s skin that she could see. “Hypersensitivity to the light is certainly a side effect of the serum.” She laid her hand on Maria’s cheek and looked into her eyes, examining their state. “Your eyes have turned red again…” 

“But I don’t feel thirsty.” Maria slightly shook her head, feeling how anxiety began to rise in her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself, laying her hand on top of Tsubasa’s. It was hard for her to calm down and concentrating on Tsubasa’s heartbeat helped her to relax. The pain she felt slowly abated and she opened her eyes again. “What about now?” 

“Beautiful turquoise.” Tsubasa smiled at her, visibly relaxing. She had already begun to worry that Maria would have to completely change her lifestyle and avoid people from now on, but fortunately this seemed unnecessary. However, the problem with day light still existed.

“No sunlight then. But as I know, you don’t mind night walks, so it’s fine.” Maria smiled sadly, slightly squeezing Tsubasa’s hand. An unpleasant feeling tightened her chest, as she noticed worry in her eyes. “The serum made me one step closer to the creature from the legend…Or maybe I’m already one of them.” So far Maria thought only about the positive side to the changes. It was foolish and she blamed herself for it. Inevitably, there had to be negative sides as well. She could only hope that her reaction to the sunlight was the worst of them. “It will be harder to pretend to be human now. Not to mention…” 

“Maybe it can be reversed.” Tsubasa interrupted and raised her free hand, pressing it to Maria’s other cheek. Pain squeezed her heart as she saw Maria’s sad expression. “If it’s what you wish, we can try to find a cure. The one who helped to develop the serum… Carol. She might know if it is possible or not.” 

“Tsubasa…” Maria slightly gritted her teeth and sighed. 

“Don’t get it wrong, Maria.” Tsubasa hurried to explain herself, noticing the pained look in turquoise eyes. “Vampire or not, it changes nothing. Legendary creature or a common one - doesn’t matter. The decision to look for a possible cure or not should only be yours. But I love you despite your origins or condition.” Her serious and determined tone didn’t leave any room for arguing, but Maria didn’t even try to do so. Instead, her eyebrows lifted and she looked back at Tsubasa in disbelief. “W-what?” Tsubasa’s voice shook, as her mind began to spin around in panic. “Did I say something wrong?” 

“Can you repeat the last part?” Maria asked carefully. Maybe she just heard it wrong or Tsubasa meant something else or even didn’t notice what she just said. Maria held her breath for a moment, waiting for her to say the words again. 

“Despite the origins or condition?” Tsubasa frowned and tilted her head to the side. “I understand; you can have some doubts.” She bit the inner side of her lip, choosing the right words. “My own lineage makes it questionable, but…” 

“Not this.” Maria slightly rolled her eyes. Why did people always have to repeat the wrong part when you ask them? “Before that. And don’t even try to say the part about creatures.” If Maria didn’t know Tsubasa so well, she would assume that the younger girl was avoiding the subject by playing dumb, but she clearly didn’t catch what was going on. 

“I…” Tsubasa froze with her mouth open, as she finally realized what Maria was asking to hear again. In her attempt to reassure Maria she didn’t notice how the words had slipped off her tongue. It wasn’t a lie or empty beautiful words, but she didn’t expect to say them so bluntly. Her cheeks flushed red and she couldn’t force herself to repeat these words. 

Maria wrapped her fingers around Tsubasa’s hand and pulled her closer, hooking her other arm around Tsubasa’s thin waist. She briefly glanced in indigo eyes before pressing their lips together. Words couldn’t fully express what she felt right now, but she put all of it into a gentle slow kiss. “I love you too, Tsubasa…” Maria whispered, breaking the kiss and slightly panting. The warmth in her chest swiftly turned into a burning flame. She pushed Tsubasa to the wall until her back was flat to the solid surface. “Ogawa’s important business will have to wait.” Maria murmured huskily, grabbing Tsubasa’s thigh and pulling it up. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they were finally ready to face the world and its problems, Tsubasa hurried downstairs ahead of Maria. In a fast pace she walked through the main rooms, closing all the curtains on her way. She ignored confused glances and all questions from Kirika and Shirabe, staying fully concentrated on her task. Since Maria couldn’t face the bright light for now, Tsubasa would do as much as she could to prevent her from hurting even a little. 

“Maria, it’s done.” Tsubasa called loudly, standing in the hall before the stairs. She looked around one last time just to be sure that everything was closed properly. In her desire to protect Maria from the bright light, Tsubasa switched to her sentinel state of mind, almost ignoring any common sense. 

“Really, Tsubasa, it’s unnecessary.” Maria sighed and pressed her hand to her temple, while walking down the stairs. “I’m not sick and it won’t kill me.” Tsubasa was quite cute in her attempts to be considerate, though Maria was getting a bit annoyed by it.

“But it hurts you.” Tsubasa protested. “And we don’t know all the details of it yet.” 

“You saw it; I didn’t turn into ash or anything. My eyes were just sensitive to the light.” Maria laid her hands on Tsubasa’s shoulders, trying to calm her down. “I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s no need to exaggerate.” She leaned closer and kissed Tsubasa’s forehead, interrupting her attempt to start arguing again. 

“Can one of you explain what is going on here?” Ogawa came out of the living room followed by Kirika and Shirabe. All three of them looked merely confused after Tsubasa’s performance a few minutes ago.

“Maria can’t bear sunlight now.” Tsubasa turned to face them, but for some strange reason the younger girls looked away, avoiding her gaze. She slightly frowned, but then decided that it didn’t matter at the moment. “Her senses are sharpened due to becoming a true vampire after a second dose of serum.” 

“It’s our theory so far.” Maria quickly clarified. It was a logical conclusion considering all of the details, but it might still be too far from completion, or they could be entirely wrong. “But Tsubasa is exaggerating it. I only can’t properly see when the light is too bright.” 

“Sharpened senses?” Kirika raised her hand and rubbed her chin. “Does it have anything to do with what we hearmph...” She was interrupted by Shirabe’s hand over her mouth. 

“Kiri-chan you can’t just say it. Maria was always tactful with us on that matter, we should be the same.” Shirabe quietly edified the blond girl, as her cheeks flushed red. She removed her hand from Kirika’s mouth only after receiving an understanding nod. 

Maria and Tsubasa silently looked at each other. In a second Tsubasa looked away, clearing her throat, while her cheeks turned red. Maria only smiled, enjoying the cute sighs of the embarrassed sentinel. 

“Ogawa-san.” Maria turned her head to the man. “You had some important matter to talk about. What was it?” She wanted to know what was important enough to ruin her plans for the day, yet there was another thing that had bothered her for some time already. “But let’s talk in the kitchen. Tsubasa should have a proper breakfast. The rumbling in her stomach is getting concerning.” 

“What?!” Tsubasa instinctively covered her stomach with both hands in a panic. She was hungry, but was pretty sure that it wasn’t so obvious and loud. She began to forget that Maria could hear even the quietest of sounds, but was now mercilessly reminded of it. 

“Yes, Tsubasa, I can hear it.” Maria laughed quietly, raising her hand to her chin. “I’ll make something for you.” She took Tsubasa’s hand and tugged her along into the kitchen. She expected some protests, but to her surprise Tsubasa obediently followed her, looking away from the others to hide her blush. 

Ogawa smiled watching the scene then hurried to follow the women. He was still amazed at how easily Maria could deal with Tsubasa, without getting any objections. Before, Tsubasa wouldn’t allow anyone to treat her in such a way, keeping the Kazanari pride above everything else, but around Maria she seemed to forget about it all. Despite an obligation of duty, he didn’t put these details in his reports, he instead sincerely enjoyed seeing her so relaxed and happy. However, he had to ruin this idyll. 

“You can start, Ogawa-san. Don’t worry, I’ll pay close attention to it.” Maria said, looking through the pantry to see what food they had, and thinking what would be the best breakfast for Tsubasa after blood loss. 

“I received a message with new orders today.” Ogawa began to explain the situation when everyone sat at the table. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, handing it out for Tsubasa. “They are recalling you from the mission, Tsubasa-san. Commander Genjuro will now be responsible for this area.” 

Tsubasa carefully read the text and examined each word. She recognized the handwriting; it belonged to her father without any doubt. The order was clear and firm, disobeying it would be almost treason. She crumpled the paper and threw it away with anger. “I won’t follow it.” Tsubasa said quietly, looking down at her hands. 

“But, Tsubasa-san, that will be….” Ogawa’s eyes went wide right as he heard Tsubasa’s words. He would never even imagine her disobeying official orders and was ready to go pack their belongings, but Tsubasa’s answer caught him off-guard. 

“I know what it means.” Tsubasa hit the table with her palm, cutting off Ogawa’s words. “I won’t follow this order.” She clenched her fist, still looking down. This order wasn’t what she expected to hear so soon and it wasn’t one she could follow. Not now. Not when she could finally see other meanings in life. Maria was here and Tsubasa had to help and support her. She decided to disobey almost immediately, but still the sentinel part of her was protesting and demanding to follow the command as she had been trained. Tsubasa looked at Maria and a calm feeling filled her chest. “I’m not willing to discuss it any further.” She added, switching her gaze from Maria to Ogawa again. 

The silence hung in the air until it was suddenly broken by the sizzle of frying eggs. Despite the situation, Maria continued to cook breakfast for Tsubasa, thinking about what she had just heard. It was only a matter of time when this would happen and she knew it, but she was pleased to hear Tsubasa’s response to the strict order. She held back her comments for the moment, but she was proud of how much Tsubasa changed since the day they met. 

“Tsubasa-san, calm down and think about it once again.” Ogawa tried to insist, calling to Tsubasa’s logic and common sense. “I understand how you feel, but there should be a less harsh solution.” 

“I’ve decided. I’m not ready to return.” Tsubasa cut him off once again, raising up her hand in a stopping gesture. “And if I’m free of my duty here, I can spend my time as I want from now. We are going to find Carol.” She managed to keep her emotions under control, making her voice sound smooth and calm. 

“Yes. We decided to meet this Carol Malus Dienheim. After what happened yesterday I need to learn more. If she is really the one who was working on the serum, she must know what it was made of and how.” Maria finally joined the conversation, placing a plate of fried eggs with bacon before Tsubasa. She sat next to Tsubasa and hummed in amusement, noticing the spark of excitement caused by the sight of food. 

“I expected this outcome.” Ogawa sighed, shaking his head. “But you can’t just disappear, Maria-san. According to the terms of your release from jail, we are responsible for all of your actions. You are under our supervision and protection.” 

“Tsubasa will be with me. Our actions won’t break any of your agreements.” Maria skeptically looked at Ogawa. His words had some sense, but only a part of it. “And thank you, but I’m capable enough of protecting myself and my friends.” 

“I don’t doubt your abilities. But any kind of provocation can happen.” Ogawa calmly began to explain the situation to Maria. Apparently Tsubasa didn’t have time to discuss it with Maria, and that meant it was his duty to fix her mistake. “One mistake can cost Tsubasa-san a lot.” He sighed. “And along with her refusal to follow the order…” Ogawa looked at Tsubasa, who was surprisingly quiet and didn’t interfere in the conversation. She was absently eating her breakfast, mostly ignoring everything. 

“You think I want to just vanish?” Maria skeptically raised her eyebrow. “And if your Kazanari jerks want to do something to Tsubasa, they are welcome to try and pass through me.” Maria stood up and glared at Ogawa, gritting her teeth in a sudden burst of anger. Her eyes flashed red, piercing the man to the spot by the power of this fierce glance. Using Tsubasa as an excuse to persuade her was a cheap trick and Maria couldn’t tolerate it. 

“Maria. I’m hungry as well.” Kirika stood up and waved both of her hands in the air, laughing nervously. She jumped right into the fire, seeing that the conversation was spiraling out of control and clearly became dangerous. “It’s unfair that you made food only for Tsubasa-san. It looks so delicious; I want some too.” 

“Me too, Maria.” Shirabe immediately joined Kirika in her attempts to smooth out the situation. Maria looked fearsome and her aura filled the kitchen. In the short moment something had to be done. A little distraction operation was the only option.

“I wouldn’t oppose to another portion too.” Tsubasa’s voice sounded a bit sad as she looked at the empty plate with a sigh. She was still hungry and her request was sincere. She didn’t even notice that the other girls had used food as an excuse to change the mood in the room. 

Ogawa visibly relaxed when Maria’s expression became calmer and her lips curved into a smile as she switched her gaze from him to Tsubasa. He had never felt so close to death, even in his line of work. His entire body shook in the face of Maria’s protective rage. He once faced this woman in a fight, but back then he didn’t experience this type of primal fear. She had changed and Ogawa found out the hard way. 

The tension in the air faded away little by little and the conversation returned to a more peaceful and pleasant state. Ogawa didn’t try to stop them anymore, but all his questions were aimed at finding more about their plans. Soon enough he carefully pointed out that they had no idea where to start in their search for Carol. But his plan to stop Maria and Tsubasa from reckless actions failed right away, when Shirabe and Kirika mentioned that they had their own research on the issue. They expected that Maria would want to find this person and began to look for any kind of information. All the leads pointed to Chateau de Tiffauges. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
The train moved smoothly, evenly swaying. It was the fastest way for Maria and Tsubasa to reach their destination, but still the journey had taken almost a whole day. They stayed in the coupe almost the whole time, sleeping and killing time with simple chats. Time passed slowly and Tsubasa again felt her eyelids become heavier. She leaned closer to Maria, resting her head on her shoulder. All desperate attempts to keep her eyes open failed and she succumbed to the tiredness, using the last drops of her power to wrap her arms around Maria’s waist. 

Maria carefully looked at Tsubasa, noticing the change in her heart beat and breath. Tsubasa fell asleep for the third or fourth time today, though it didn’t surprise Maria at all. She carefully pressed her cheek to Tsubasa’s hair and closed her eyes. But sleep wouldn’t come to her again. It was still day time and they had to keep the curtains closed. It was an unfortunate measure that killed the option of looking out the window to entertain herself by enjoying the view of landscapes passing by. 

Maria could occupy herself with only her own thoughts for now. She hummed quietly, recalling the moment when Ogawa called her aside and handed her a small piece of paper. Only a few lines were written there: _“Watch over her. Don’t do things she wouldn’t like. If something happens to her, you’ll answer to me. She shouldn’t know about this.”_ The words were written by Kazanari Yatsuhiro, and he certainly tried to tell Maria to take good care of Tsubasa. She could feel that these two people were related; like father like daughter. 

Maria rolled her eyes, repeating the message in her head once again. There was something strange and ridiculous about it at the same time. Did Yatsuhiro trust her because of his connections with her father or was it some part of his weird strategic game? No one could tell for sure what intentions this man had, but at least they seemed to have the same goal – keep Tsubasa safe, even if their reasons were completely different.

It was late in the evening when the train finally stopped. The sun had almost rolled behind the horizon, but its light was still too bright for Maria’s liking. However, they couldn’t stay and wait at the station until twilight. They didn’t have much information about Carol, who appeared to be a pretty mysterious person. No one could even say what she looked like or specify the location of her dwelling. The best option they had right now was to ask people around the area where Chateau de Tiffauges was supposed to be. The castle itself was nothing but ancient ruins, abandoned ages ago, but it was the best point to start. 

“Don’t take your hood off, Maria.” Tsubasa frowned, noticing that her companion raised her hand ready to push the fabric off from her head. They had just entered the small town and the last of the sun rays were cut off by the buildings, but Tsubasa still didn’t want to take any risks on the matter. 

“I’m looking too suspicious. It’s one thing when I had to hide my face at nighttime before, but no one will tell us anything if I keep covering it during conversation.” Maria countered and pulled the hood off, ignoring Tsubasa’s displeased expression. The light was already dim enough for her to feel comfortable. “And it won’t really help unless I cover my face with it completely, but then I won’t see at all.” 

Tsubasa stopped and crossed her hands over her chest. She closed her eyes and frowned, thinking over Maria’s words. She certainly had a good point, but it wasn’t enough to convince Tsubasa completely. When she finally sorted out her thoughts, out of nowhere something hit her in the back and almost knocked her off her feet.

“I’m so sorry!” A scared childish voice came from behind Tsubasa. She didn’t yet manage to turn around, when she noticed a small cloaked figure running past her. 

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Maria easily caught the child by the shoulders. In an attempt to loosen the grip, the hood of the cloak fell from the child’s head. Now Maria could see that it was a blond girl with light blue eyes, hardly older than ten. She looked scared to death with her eyes wide open. Maria could feel the tremble in her body along with an insane heartbeat. “What happened to you? 

“Please, let me go.” The girl struggled to break free, but Maria only squeezed her shoulders tighter. “You will be in danger too if they see you with me.” She begged plaintively, while tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. 

“Someone is chasing you?” Tsubasa stepped closer and looked around, instinctively laying a hand on the hilt of her katana. There was no one around and the area looked empty. Maybe it was just a trick to escape?

“Not just someone.” Maria’s expression darkened as red light flashed in her eyes. “There are many. Both vampires and humans. And something else…” She took a deep breath to feel more about the foes. Maria frowned and looked down at the girl. “Why are they after you?” 

“They are looking for Carol, but…” The girl’s mumble was interrupted by the sound of many footsteps. “Please run! They need just me.” She pleaded, grabbing the edge of Maria’s cloak. 

“Take her away, Maria. You are faster.” Tsubasa said calmly, dragging her sword out and turning around. “I’ll hold them back.” She raised her sword, taking a defensive stance. One by one, masked figures appeared before her, all dressed in black leather armor. So far, Tsubasa could see at least ten of them, but she assumed there were much more. “Even if some of them follow you, it will be easier to protect her this way.” Tsubasa tightened her grip on the hilt as her eyes met six pairs of bright red ones.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Maria laughed, releasing the girl and stepping before her. “We are in this together. But more importantly…” Maria felt how her blood began to boil along with her rising anger. She sensed each vampire in the crowd and their hesitation as they intently watched her. They were all weak; it was so obvious now. Maria smirked and her eyes glowed with burgundy light. “There are less opponents than you think.” 

To Tsubasa’s surprise after these words all of the vampires knelt down and bowed their heads. 

“How did you do that?” Impressed, Tsubasa immediately lost her concentration and turned to look at Maria. For a moment she froze in the awe from seeing the prideful expression on Maria’s face. 

“I’m not sure. But I just feel that I’m stronger than they are. And they should bow to me.” The powerful aura grew, as Maria’s smirk widened. She began to enjoy this feeling of superiority, seeing how the humans amongst the foes stepped back. 

“Watch out!” The girl exclaimed loudly, grabbing Maria’s hand and yanking her back. At the same moment, several metal tubes fell to their feet with loud clinks against the road. A sticky purple fog began to flow out, rising in the air and quickly spreading around. 

“You think that will help you?” Maria raised her eyebrows in surprise. This looked like a cheap trick which would be useful in a fight with humans, but she was certain that some smoke wouldn’t be a problem for her now. “Even without seeing, I know where each of you stand.” She laughed, but suddenly felt an itching in her throat. Little by little her limbs began to weaken and an annoying hum appeared in her head. She gritted her teeth and clutched her head with her hands. The buzzing got stronger, making her unable to discern anything. 

“Maria?” Tsubasa laid her hand on Maia’s shoulder and looked at her with concern. She didn’t see well enough in this strange purple fog and it became harder to breathe, but it seemed to have a completely different effect on Maria. “What’s wrong?” She asked, slightly shaking Maria, though still she didn’t get any response. 

“I’m fine.” Maria hissed through clenched teeth, reaching for her dagger. Her senses were now a rather raging tempest in which she was completely lost. Their advantage had gone. She glanced at the vampires before her and saw that they were no longer under her suppression. Moreover, the smoke had no effect on them; the masks did their job well. “Damn it.” 

“We can handle it easily, right, Maria?” Tsubasa laughed, preparing for an unequal battle. She stepped to the side and turned around. Now, standing almost back to back with Maria and with the helpless girl positioned between them, she could only fight back with all of the strength she had. But with Maria by her side, it wasn’t yet a lost cause.

“Of course, Tsubasa.” She forced a smirk, trying to hide her shattering confidence. She felt weaker than she ever had in the past years, but she could still fight. If there were only two of them, she wouldn’t worry at all, but with a third wheel the fight promised to be difficult. 

A loud clank of steel spread throughout the area as the battle began. Outnumbered and surrounded, Maria and Tsubasa fought back by standing their ground. Both found it hard to dodge and use battle maneuvers. 

“Stay closer to me.” Maria reached her hand and grabbed the girl’s hood. She grabbed the cloth and roughly pulled her closer. The girl yelped, but didn’t try to resist. Maria protectively placed her arm on the girl’s shoulder, blocking another strong slash with her dagger. 

“We need to get out of this fog.” Tsubasa pressed her back to Maria’s, noticing that her movements were slowing. “I will push them back and breach their ranks.” With these words she lunged forward, fiercely slashing the opponent before her. The lifeless body fell to her feet, but another foe swiftly took the place of his fallen mate. “Go on ahead as soon as you can, I’ll follow you.” 

A loud whistle rang through the area and all of the foes froze in their spots. As if receiving new strict order, all of the vampires switched their attention to Tsubasa. They seemed to not see much danger in Maria right now, and instead tried to get rid of Tsubasa faster. 

“No time for plans, we should just run!” Maria yelled, turning her head to Tsubasa. She raised her hand to the clasp of her cloak and unfastened it. She grabbed the thick fabric and pulled it off her shoulders, stepping closer to Tsubasa. “Follow my lead.” Maria swiftly turned around, swinging her cloak and throwing it at the enemies. The cloth covered several vampires fettering their movements and covering their vision. “Time to break through!” 

Maria grabbed the girl in her hands and rushed away from the main crowd of foes. Easily dodging the single enemies on her way, she ran forward to the edge of the fog. The purple haze began to dissipate with each step, allowing Maria to breathe more freely. Now they had to hide the girl and exterminate the enemies. 

Tsubasa followed Maria as fast as she could, until a vampire appeared in her way. She quickly blocked his two rough slashes and pushed him back. Losing balance, he staggered backwards, yet remained eager to fight. They exchanged a few more blows, but Tsubasa couldn’t afford to lose much more time here. Seizing the moment, she made one swiping blow, cutting off his hand. The man fell down on his knees and clenched the bloody stump while crying out in pain, no longer a threat. 

With the path now clear Tsubasa hurried to catch up with Maria, though she was already far ahead. As she ran forward, her ears noticed a strange mechanical sound. She couldn’t determine which direction it was coming from, but it was getting closer. Her instincts didn’t react as if it were something dangerous or even alive, but her intuition whispered that this was a bad sign. 

“Micha, wait!” Suddenly the girl in Maria’s hands plaintively shouted out and tried to break free. “Don’t!” She tugged on Maria’s shirt to catch her attention and looked up at her. “We should help your friend!” 

“What?” Maria slowed down and released the girl. The tears in scared blue eyes confused her for a moment, but then her body tensed in terror. She could smell the blood again and this time it was Tsubasa’s Maria hesitantly turned around, not wanting to believe her senses. When she finally faced Tsubasa, her eyes widened in horror. 

Tsubasa fell down to her knees, feeling a sharp pain and unable to breathe in properly. She raised her hand and pressed it to her chest. The fabric was warm and wet to the touch; it could mean only one thing. She lowered her head and looked down at her palm. A wave of panic streamed through her body and her hand began to shake, as she saw blood covering it. She raised her gaze and saw Maria’s shocked face before her at a distance.

“Tsubasa!” Maria exclaimed loudly after seeing the horror reflected in turquoise eyes. Not again. She couldn’t allow history to repeat itself. The image of smiling Serena appeared in her mind, as she rushed to Tsubasa’s side. “Don’t try to move, I’m coming!” She saw how Tsubasa’s clothes were soaking through with blood. Her throat went dry from the intoxicating smell, and with each step the effect got stronger. She had to help Tsubasa, but at the same time the thirst could take her over easily. She chose to fight it. 

“Maria…” Tsubasa murmured and immediately began to cough as the taste of blood filled her mouth. She had always been ready to die on the battlefield, giving her life away for a greater cause without regrets; but instead of the expected peace she only felt fear. She kept her eyes locked on Maria, who was the last piece of hope for her right now. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a movement. A strange looking feminine figure with red hair that resembled huge drills passed by her and stood before her. 

“Too easy.” Micha said as she flicked blood off from the enormous claws of her hand. “But you look strong. Let’s see how long you can last.” She smiled widely to Maria, but her row of sharp teeth made it look threatening.

“You’ll pay for this!” Maria growled, fiercely staring at the woman that stood between her and Tsubasa. She had no time for a long fight, but that person was dangerous and had to be dealt with fast. Maria could barely feel her presence and it only concerned her more. 

“Micha, why did you do that?! I told you to stop!” The girl behind Maria yelled out loud, while tears ran from her eyes. “They saved me!”

No answer followed. The person named Micha dashed forward towards Maria, evilly grinning. She aimed her claws at Maria’s head, expecting another easy victory. 

Maria’s eyes flashed red as she blocked the hit. She fought back, fueling each hit with her rage, but it wasn’t enough. It was hard to believe that someone could fight her full strength almost equally. But the longer the fight lasted the less chances Tsubasa had to survive.

“Damn it!” Maria cursed, noticing several vampires running from the side where they came from. Weak and defenseless Tsubasa was in their way. 

Tsubasa heard the steps behind her and stuck her sword into the ground pushing herself up. She refused to be an easy target; she could still fight. The pain pierced her chest with new strength, but she only clenched her teeth and stood up. She turned around, slightly swaying and tightening the grip on her sword. 

“Tsubasa don’t! Get out of there!” Maria yelled in panic, watching how Tsubasa raised her katana preparing to fight. She tried to concentrate and force the vampires to obey her will once again, but it was impossible to do it during a fight. “Get away from her, bastards!” 

Still engaged in battle, Maria could only watch how Tsubasa was fighting for her life. Every swing of the blade was slower than the previous. Gathering the last drops of power, she made a sweeping blow, cutting through the eyes of her opponent. However, this harsh movement left her wide open. 

“Tsubasa!” Maria exclaimed, feeling how fear ran through her body. She saw how Tsubasa stopped moving and the sword slipped from her fingers. The man next to her held a knife covered in blood. When Tsubasa once again fell to her knees, he raised the weapon to finish her. 

“Enough!” The blond girl jumped between Maria and Micha, seizing the right moment. It was a desperate attempt and she braced herself for an accidental hit. She tightly closed her eyes, but gladly no pain followed. For her it was too hard to watch this scene. These two strangers risked their lives for her, and she had to do at least something in return. “They are on our side, Micha. Stop it.” 

Grateful for the interruption, Maria immediately rushed to Tsubasa. She needed just a few seconds; she could still save her. “I’m coming, Tsubasa.” Her voice betrayed her and the words didn’t come out as loud as she wanted. The red light of her eyes became brighter, as she threw her silver knife at the vampire. The blade pierced his throat and he fell back, dropping the dagger from his hand which was just an inch away from Tsubasa’s throat. 

_“I don’t want to die here…”_ Tsubasa thought weakly, feeling how life flowed out of her body along with her blood. _“Maria…._ _I want to live…with her.”_ Her vision began to get blurry and all sounds turned into an annoying echo. She already couldn’t feel her hands and legs. Unable to keep herself upright, she closed her eyes and mentally prepared to hit the ground, but instead of the cold solid surface she felt something soft wrapped around her. She opened her eyes and saw a familiar silhouette. “Ma-ria…” 

“I’m here.” Maria carefully held Tsubasa in her arms, while examining the state of her wounds. There had to be a chance to save her. But then she noticed a new deep wound on Tsubasa’s belly and her chest tightened in fear. “This looks bad, but I saw how fast you can heal.” Maria tried to reassure Tsubasa, but in reality, she was just trying to convince herself that everything was not as bad as it seemed. Her own body trembled with tantalizing thirst, demanding Tsubasa’s blood. She slowed down her breath and swallowed hard. “It’s going to be fine.” 

Tsubasa tried to smile, but even her smallest muscles refused to obey. She was happy that Maria was near. With her here it was easier to believe that everything really was going to be fine. “I… glad…you…” 

“Stop talking.” Maria squeezed Tsubasa’s hand tighter. She couldn’t feel her pulse there, but didn’t show her concern. “Let’s move out…” She froze with her mouth open and her eyes went wide in terror. “No, no, no. It can’t be.” Maria mumbled in panic, pressing her palm to Tsubasa’s chest. There was no heartbeat. She couldn’t feel a thing. “Tsubasa!” She began to shake her, but Tsubasa’s pale face stayed still. Indigo eyes had been looking at her, but now they were lifeless. 

Tears welled in Maria’s eyes, as she loudly screamed, cursing the world in fury and grief. She again could only watch the last moments of her beloved one. Everything else was meaningless. She raised her hand and gently closed Tsubasa’s eyes, unable to endure this empty gaze any longer. Her fingers stayed at her cheek a little longer, feeling the weak warmth for the last time. 

The sounds of the many steps distracted Maria from her silent mourning. She could sense how they were getting surrounded by many new enemies. Anger and thirst simmered in her, as she felt them come closer. “You are all going to suffer.” She growled and her eyes flashed bright red. She carefully lowered Tsubasa’s body to the ground, with the primal wrath already burning in her veins. “I will make you beg for death.” 

Maria pulled her dagger from the vampire corpse and walked toward the foes. The vampires in black approached from all directions, but it only worked in her favor. She didn’t bother to use her power, desiring to kill them one by one with her own hands while they struggled, fighting for their lives. 

When Maria was several steps away from her first victim, a bright flare lit up the area. She instinctively turned around and immediately covered her face with her arm, blinded by the light. Everyone around did the same, forgetting about the upcoming fight. She felt a wave of abnormal heat spreading around the area. _“Did they use a bomb?”_ For a moment Maria forgot about Tsubasa, but then realization that the fire was coming from the area where her body laid hit her like a rock. 

“What the…” Maria lowered her hand and looked at the source of the heat, but it only puzzled her more. Flames burned before her, setting grass and houses afire. In the center of this chaos blazed vermilion flames, seizing the space around. For a moment Maria felt signs of life emanating from the fire, but then she noticed movement. A burning figure crawled on the ground, trying to move away from the flames. A clawed hand appeared from the fire and grabbed the closest man by the neck and raised him in the air. With a quiet crunch his spine broke and the limp body was dragged into the flames. “What is this?” Maria watched the scene, hesitating to move at all. She heard the order for the vampires to retreat behind her back, but now it didn’t matter much. There was a more dangerous monster and she didn’t know if she should run as well or stay. The thug near her feet pulled Maria back from her thoughts. The smell of burning flesh hit her nose. She looked down and saw a charred body with a big hole in its chest.

The flames began to wane, revealing what was hidden within it. The first thing Maria saw was the silhouette of a human-like creature with long pointy horns growing from the forehead. Its body was covered by the remnants of burning cloth, pieces of which were falling one by one to the ground. The beast looked rather feral and dangerous. Maria never saw anything like it and hadn’t even read about similar cases. She could feel nothing but pure rage in this creature.

The beast turned its head to Maria and looked at her with barely noticeable curiosity. The flames reflected in its eyes, making it impossible to see them better. Despite the obvious danger, it was a bewitching sight. The flames caressed the creature’s body as a devoted lover, obeying its will. It looked like an embodiment of the primal nature force. It kept its eyes on Maria, examining her and observing her reaction. 

The loud roar spread through the area, shaking the very foundation of anyone listening. Maria stepped back, fighting the urge to run away and hide. She sensed how dangerous this creature was, but at the same time she felt something painfully familiar. The sensation was weak, yet clear. The heartbeat of this creature was so fast and inhuman, yet so familiar. The more she concentrated her attention on the creature the more she could discern, but it was pushing her to the edge of madness. It seemed to be some kind of nightmare. Maria shook her head, casting away this delusion.

The fire began to recede and Maria’s eyes widened in disbelief, as she watched how the beast raised its clawed hand as if it was trying to show her something. “It can’t be…” Maria whispered, taking a step forward. With her improved vampire sight she could see the creature more clearly now, yet refused to believe her eyes. Her gaze followed the curves of the naked body before her. The features bore a striking familiarity. She spent the whole night memorizing every intimate detail of that body, running her hands through every inch of it. Then she noticed faint scars on the creature’s chest and all her doubts dissipated. “Tsubasa…!” She stopped abruptly, finally noticing what was in the clawed hand. A chill ran through her body as she saw a human heart, charred by flames.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took quite long to update, but here it is.  
> However, first of all I wanted to say thanks to [turtle mode ](https://twitter.com/topturtling) for the following amazing art.

  
  
The sound of a rain falling reached Maria’s ears and soon the first drops fell on her face. The fires on the ground receded completely, as the water showered from the sky. The smells of burned flesh and grass mingled into a noxious odor in the wet air, forcing Maria to hold her breath. She stood in the middle of the scorched area, looking at Tsubasa and waiting for her next move. There were still no signs of her real self in this new strange body, but Maria had hope that it was only temporary. 

“Tsubasa.” Maria carefully stepped forward. “Do you recognize me?” She asked calmly, while the fear trembled inside of her as she saw a feral snarl and heard a warning grunt from Tsubasa. A voice in her head was sowing doubt, telling her that the Tsubasa she knew was gone and it was just a beast that took over her body. No one could return from the dead and stay the same. _“But did she really die?”_ Maria asked herself, keeping her slow pace while moving closer. She replayed in her memory the painful and dreadful moment when she stopped feeling Tsubasa’s heartbeat. It certainly did happen, but did that really mean death? Maria shook her head. It wasn’t the time for philosophical or scientific reasoning. 

“Now that one looks weird, but strong.” Maria thought that the girl and Micha ran away when the firestorm started, but to her surprise they still were here. “What is she now? Is that a goat human?” Micha tilted her head to the side, looking at Tsubasa. “My claws are still bigger.” Another laugh rang in the air, as Micha waved her hand. 

“Micha, please stop. It’s dangerous to provoke… it.” The girl tugged on Micha’s clothing, convincing her to step back or at least to be quiet. 

“But it’s the chance to kill the same person twice!” Micha smirked, glancing toward Tsubasa. The sparkles of excitement were visible in her eyes, as she examined her potential prey.

Hearing a loud laugh, Maria gritted her teeth in irritation. This impudent comment was only making things more difficult, but now standing so close to Tsubasa, she couldn’t yell at Micha to shut up. She took another step, now being within a hand’s reach, and forced a smile upon her lips. Tsubasa still didn’t say a word, but she looked at Maria with concern and a hint of curiosity.

Wanting to touch Tsubasa, Maria raised her hand but abruptly pulled it away, noticing how Tsubasa smashed the heart in her hand in one simple motion. She brought her hand to her mouth and licked a mash of coal and gore from her fingers. She looked satisfied, but then a feral snarl distorted her face and she turned away. The laugh and unusual sounds of Micha’s body caught her attention and seemed to annoy Tsubasa.

“Calm down, Tsubasa.” Maria barely kept her voice steady while she was on the verge of panicking. If Tsubasa was going to fall into a furious state again, that could end with another fire storm. “Look at me.” Maria pushed away her hesitation and reached her hand out to Tsubasa, carefully touching her cheek and turning her head. “You should calm down.” Maria breathed slowly; her concentration focused on Tsubasa. Her eyes glowed dimly, as she attempted to use her persuasion power. However, it had no effect at all, only resulting in a confused grunt from Tsubasa. Maria pressed her hand more firmly to Tsubasa’s skin. She flinched under the touch, but didn’t try to step back. There was still the same familiar sensation Maria felt every time she touched Tsubasa. Maria looked into her eyes, searching for even a tiny drop of recognition. She brushed a strand of wet hair away from Tsubasa’s cheek, leaning closer to her.

“Stop taming it. It won’t live long anyway.” Micha clanged her claws together, breaking free from the girl’s grab. She marched towards Tsubasa, splashing water from the newly forming puddles and grinning happily. “Come here goat. Let’s play.” 

Tsubasa roared and her full attention again became concentrated on Micha. She clenched her sharp teeth, turning away from Maria. The water around her began to evaporate abnormally fast with a quiet hiss. Steam emanated from her body, as her anger grew stronger, vaporizing each raindrop that dared to touch her skin. 

“Enough!” Maria exclaimed, addressing both Tsubasa and Micha, but they didn’t hear her. The desire to fight and tear each other apart was too strong in them; she could sense it. “Don’t listen to her. Better come with me.” Maria laid her hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder, ignoring the heat. She gently gripped it and tugged Tsubasa back. 

Maria’s instincts screamed in alarm and she reflexively dodged, not fully understanding what had happened. In the last moment she noticed sharp claws, sweeping past her face. She raised her hand to her face, feeling a stinging pain on her cheek. It was a very swift blow from Tsubasa and if Maria didn’t have her sharpened senses, she would be lying on the ground without a head. She realized this immediately, as she felt the wetness of blood under her fingers. 

“See? You’re boring. It wants to play with me.” Micha smirked. “I like this glare. Now come here.” She taunted Tsubasa and ran towards her, laughing while the insanity glinted in her eyes.

Tsubasa roared fiercely and the fire flared at the tips of her fingers, immediately covering the rest of her hands. Her murderous intentions were clear to everyone present, as she charged in Micha’s direction. 

Maria observed the scene, trying to figure out how she could stop this madness before anything worse happened. There had to be a way to calm Tsubasa down and get rid of that crazy person. However, doing both at once looked like an impossible task. She closely watched each movement in the fight before her. It was a brute battle. Both women relied solely on their raw power. There was nothing left of Tsubasa’s graceful style and she completely forgot about her sword. 

“Not bad.” Micha laughed in excitement, as she clashed her hands with Tsubasa. But the smile faded from her face, as she felt her feet slowly slide back on the wet mud. She quickly recovered and a new wave of excitement shined in her eyes. “You are strong! Stronger than anyone I’ve met before!” 

“Micha, stop fighting! Your body may not survive this fire! It looks too abnormal.” The girl yelled, noticing how Micha’s clothes began to smolder. “We need help with it!” She stepped closer to the wrestling women, repeating her pleas to end this for good. 

“Are you insane?! Don’t get so close to them!” Maria exclaimed in irritation and ran to the girl’s side. Her eyes flashed red, as she instinctively used her power to move faster. She reached the girl’s side and grabbed her hand, pulling her away to a safe distance. 

Micha’s claws cracked under Tsubasa’s grip. Steel pieces scattered in different directions like shrapnel, leaving cuts on Tsubasa’s skin. She groaned lowly and squeezed Micha’s hands with more rage. 

Maria quickly looked around, searching for something she could use. She silently cursed herself for throwing her cloak away before. She switched her attention back to the fight, as Micha slipped on the wet mud under Tsubasa’s onslaught and fell on her back. While pinned to the ground she desperately tried to fight back, but all was in vain. Tsubasa caught her arms and tore them off. 

“Stop staring and do something already.” Suddenly the tone of the blonde girl’s voice changed and became overbearing. Her posture shifted, becoming more confident. She pushed Maria away and looked up at her with an annoyed expression over her face. “You are the only one here who bears the power to suppress this beast. I’m not willing to die because of your miserable hesitation.” 

Maria was taken aback by such a change and for a few seconds just stared at the girl. She blinked several times, coming back to her senses. These words made sense. Maria had to act already, not just wait for better opportunity; but still, rushing in without some plan would be a suicide. 

“It’s easy to complain.” Maria frowned. “How am I supposed to fight her? She’ll burn me alive if she gets angrier. Besides,” She glanced at Tsubasa, who was trying to gnaw the torn off arm. It gnashed under the onslaught of Tsubasa’s teeth, but didn’t break. Maria groaned quietly, refusing to believe that the well-mannered Tsubasa she knew became such a wild and brutal creature. “I kept all under control until your friend pissed her off.” 

“Fine. Since you saved my body earlier, I agree to cooperate.” The girl humped and looked back at the fight. “Micha, enough of this. Play dead for now or she will keep tearing you apart. I won’t have time to fix your whole body.” 

“But Master!” Micha protested, trying to crawl away while Tsubasa was occupied. But she shut her mouth right away once she caught the serious glare of her master. She fell on her back with her eyes open and stopped moving. 

“Now kill her.” The girl commanded, glancing at Maria. But then her expression changed and she deeply frowned, rolling her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “I know. But it’s dangerous to leave this creature alive. I have no idea what she is capable of.” She began to talk, but Maria was certain that the monologue wasn’t addressed to her. “Enough. I have another idea, but don’t whine if both of them die.” She looked at Maria, now addressing her. “You have to weaken her. Make her bleed and waste power. This way we will have a chance to tie her up.”

“What?!” Maria got irritated by this suggestion. It was still Tsubasa! She couldn’t make her suffer. 

“Do as I say!” The girl exclaimed and stomped angrily. “I don’t like that idea either. But it’s the only way if you don’t want to kill her.” 

The arguing quickly caught Tsubasa’s attention. She let out a low roar and threw away Micha’s arm. Her eyes locked on Maria and she frowned. Then she sniffed the air and switched her attention to the girl. The expression on her face changed immediately back to the furious one. She had the same smell as Micha. 

“Hide!” Maria yelled to the girl as she rushed forward to Tsubasa. She had no idea how she was going to fight such pure rage, but she couldn’t just wait and let Tsubasa do things that she would regret later. The faith that Tsubasa was still somewhere deep inside this creature fueled her determination. If she had to, she could beat Tsubasa nearly to death, but would bring her back no matter what. 

Tsubasa blinked in confusion when Maria appeared before her, cutting off her path. She stopped and gritted her teeth. Using that brief pause, Maria clenched her fist and landed a hit right into Tsubasa’s chest. She put all her strength into this hit, pushing Tsubasa back. However, she didn’t even manage to make her lose her balance. 

Bright fire engulfed Tsubasa’s hands as she groaned. She raised her burning palm and laid it on her chest, hissing in pain. Maria’s blow caused some internal damage and she seemed to try to examine or even heal it. 

“I don’t want to hurt you more. Stop fighting.” Maria clenched her fists tighter, trying to hold back her emotions. It was hard to fight Tsubasa now. She quietly sighed, remembering how they had fought the first time they met. It was a completely different feeling. She never told Tsubasa that, but she enjoyed their battles way too much back then, but now this was nothing but torture. 

The answer to Maria’s words was a silent glare. Tsubasa didn’t want to surrender, or rather she didn’t realize what that even meant. Her instincts were telling her to fight to the death. Maria was just a strong opponent and a threat. 

Maria laid her hand on her dagger, but hesitated drawing it out. She didn’t know what kind of effect the silver could have on Tsubasa now. It could cause too much damage. She glanced at the burned area behind Tsubasa’s back and noticed the katana. Its sheath was charred and the tissue on the hilt was burned out, but it still seemed to be intact. Maria switched her gaze back to Tsubasa, who was still holding the fire over her chest waiting for something. 

Maria’s eyes flashed red as she bolted forward. It was a risky move. However, she was still faster than Tsubasa even if she couldn’t surpass her in brute strength right now. Maria dodged the clawed hand and then ducked down. She slid on the wet mud, grabbing the sword. 

“Sorry, Tsubasa.” Maria said under her breath, drawing the sword out of its sheath. She closed her eyes and listened to Tsubasa’s steps. The sight of the familiar face could shatter her determination. She lunged forward and felt the blade pierce the flesh. That sensation was familiar; she had hit her enemies so many times before, but it had never been so hard for her.

Maria opened her eyes. Before her was Tsubasa’s shocked face. She lowered her gaze and breathed out in relief. Everything happened as she had planned, and the steel went right through Tsubasa’s shoulder. Maria tightened her grip on the hilt and pushed the blade further. Red blood run from the wound mixing with rain water.

Tsubasa raised her hand and wrapped her fingers around the blade. She squeezed it tight and the blood began to drip from her palm. Under her grip the steel shattered like a piece of glass, while the blade's tip remained sticking out of her shoulder. She snarled at Maria, clutching the piece of sword between her fingers and dragged it out. The wound began to smoke, visibly healing.

“You are kidding me…” Maria gritted her teeth, throwing away the remains of the sword. But yet a part of her was happy that Tsubasa wasn’t that easy to wound or kill.

“Just drink her blood as much as you can. Aren’t you a damn vampire?!” Maria heard the annoyed voice of the girl, who was still watching this show. 

“Clever plan. Vampires can’t burn after all!” Maria replied sarcastically, taking a defensive pose. There was nothing else she could do. At Tsubasa’s next attack, she caught her arm and tried to bring it behind her back. It took a lot of strength, but Maria felt that Tsubasa became weaker and couldn’t resist at full strength. On her next move, Maria hooked her foot around Tsubasa’s leg and pushed her down to the ground. 

Tsubasa groaned, struggling to throw Maria off her back as her face hit the wet mud. The knee pressed to the small of her back didn’t allow her to move freely. Maria grabbed one of Tsubasa’s horns, pressing her firmly to the ground. An angry roar died in Tsubasa’s throat as Maria pressed her lips to her neck and pierced the skin there with her fangs. 

To Maria’s surprise, Tsubasa’s struggle ended fast. She endured the heat, but it began to fade away. Maybe Maria couldn’t reach her mind, but the body still willingly obeyed her. Tsubasa’s muscles relaxed as she kept drinking her blood. 

“I’ll find a way to bring you back.” Maria whispered, removing her lips from Tsubasa’s neck. She made sure to drink enough only to make Tsubasa faint. The heavy feeling tightened in her chest, as she looked down at Tsubasa’s dirty but relaxed face.

“Now take her and follow me. I want to study this creature.” The girl commanded as she turned around and headed to a destination only known to her. “My Château de Tiffauges has a good place to contain wild beasts.” 

Maria clenched her fists, but held back her words, carefully picking Tsubasa up. She hated to hear how Tsubasa was being called a mere beast, yet it was their only chance to resolve this situation. If that child claimed Château de Tiffauges to be hers, she could be somehow related to Carol. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she promised, the girl guided Maria to Château de Tiffauges and allowed her and Tsubasa to stay. This place was a huge castle, which impressed Maria at first sight. It was rather strange that they didn’t notice it immediately from the train station. The impressive building wasn’t visible at all until they came close to it, as if it was hidden from the eyes of people by an invisible veil. 

The moon was high in the sky and the time was past midnight. More than twenty four hours had passed since they arrived here, but Maria couldn’t force herself to sleep. She had been given a spacious and fancy room, yet it only irritated her. She was separated from Tsubasa as soon as they entered the Château. Tsubasa had to be locked away and Maria had no choice but to accept these terms. Maria sighed and leaned back against the wall, crossing her hands over her chest. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her senses. This was the only occupation she had for hours. She needed to know what was going on around her and to be prepared in case anything was to happen. Suddenly a chill ran down Maria’s spine. She could hear a muffled sound similar to howl. A feeling of emptiness came as she kept carefully listening to it. It was rather a quiet and haggard cry of pain which she soon recognized. Maria tightly clenched her fists and opened her eyes. She headed to the door and harshly opened it, almost breaking its handle. Tsubasa had come to her senses and needed her right now.

This place was a maze and Maria couldn’t recall where Tsubasa was taken. She could sense almost nothing here and felt that without a guide she would get lost fast. The air around felt sticky and heavy, though nothing extraordinary could be seen by the eyes. Maria continued to walk, relying mostly on her ears. 

With the passing of each hall Maria could hear Tsubasa more clearly until she stopped close to the sought-after door. The sounds coming from there tore her heart apart. She knew that Tsubasa might not recognize her, but she had to be here for her. Dark thoughts swarmed in her head, fueling her fears and doubts. She wasn’t sure that she was ready to face Tsubasa again. If there was no way to bring her back, then it was a fate worse than death. The possibility that Tsubasa was alive but wouldn’t be herself again and won’t ever call Maria’s name or smile to her was dreadful.

While Maria was lost in thought, the door opened and a girl in black and blue clothes stepped out. She ran her hands over the skirt of her dress, brushed away some dust, and smirked to herself. 

“You are not supposed to leave your room. By sneaking around you are neglecting the hospitality of our mistress.” The girl stepped closer to Maria and smiled, baring her teeth. “Or did you feel lonely? I can make your time here more exciting. I’m Garie, and you’ll remember this name for a long time, when I’m done with you.” 

“Get lost.” Maria answered coldly, glaring at Garie. Something was off about this person just like it was with Micha. They both shared an emptiness in their presence and insanity in their eyes. Maria could clearly feel the sadistic and murderous intention filling all of Garie’s words. 

“So rude. You hurt my feelings.” Garie dramatically pressed the back of her palm to her forehead and grabbed the fabric of her cloth on her chest with her other hand. “Why are you both so aggressive? But the one with horns at least has an excuse, she has no brains.” She smirked again, looking at Maria’s reaction. “Won’t even be worth keeping her as a guard dog. She is trying to bite the hand that feeds her.” 

“Shut your mouth.” Maria grabbed Garie by the clothing on her chest and pulled her closer, piercing her with an angry glare. “What did you do to Tsubasa?” 

“Oh, she even has a name.” Garie giggled. “I didn’t do anything bad to her.” She kept the smile on her face, delighted by Maria's reaction. “Didn’t even touch her. After what she did to poor Micha, I’m afraid to even feed her.” She sighed dramatically, pretending to be sad. “I only splashed some water on her. This beast was too dirty for my mistress’s castle.” 

Maria’s blood boiled in anger. Her grip on Garie’s clothes tightened, but she refrained from reckless actions. She could kill her easily, yet that would do no good right now. 

“Now be a good girl and let me go. I need to do other things first, before playing with you.” Garie laid her hands on Maria’s and pushed them away. Not waiting for an answer, she turned around on her heels and walked away, leaving Maria completely frustrated. 

After making sure that Garie was far enough away, Maria took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The room looked like an underground laboratory. Along the wall there was a table filled with strange instruments and flasks containing unknown liquids. Several oil lamps were barely enough to light the space, but it wasn’t a problem for Maria. She looked around and held her breath until she noticed Tsubasa. She was sitting near the wall with her hands chained above her bowed head, her hair dripping wet. A bowl with raw meat was placed on the floor not far from her, but just out of reach. 

Tsubasa raised her head and glared at Maria. Her eyes couldn’t focus at all and the light pouring through the open door made her whine. She snarled, baring her sharp teeth, and groaned. The chains clanked against the wall as she tried to move. Despite her appearance, there was nothing left of the threatening aura she had before. She was rather weak and subdued. 

“This is too much…” Maria bit her lower lip and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She walked closer to Tsubasa and reached for the chain’s lock. There was no surprise in it being closed and looking for the key was pointless. “You are not an animal to be treated like this.” Maria grabbed the chain, pulled the anchor out of the wall in one sharp tug, and then broke the chain itself. She knelt down and looked over Tsubasa’s body. There were no signs of injury, even the stab wound had disappeared without a trace. 

As soon as Tsubasa was released from the chains, she switched her attention from Maria to the bowl of meat, weakly reaching her hand out to it. In her attempts to get the food, she almost fell on her side, but Maria caught her by the shoulders.

“You really want to eat it?” Maria sighed and slightly squeezed Tsubasa’s shoulders. It was more of a mockery than a real gesture of care, probably left by Garie just to watch Tsubasa struggle. “But I’m not even sure what you should eat now…” She took the bowl and moved it closer to Tsubasa. “I need the blood to survive after all.” 

Maria silently watched how Tsubasa took a piece of meat, piercing it with her claws, and brought it closer to her lips. Her sharp teeth easily tore a piece from it and she swallowed it without chewing. With a happy grunt she kept eating until the last piece disappeared in her mouth. 

Maria raised her hand and touched Tsubasa’s cheek. Tsubasa snarled and glared at Maria, while her nose flinched as she sniffed her hand. She visibly relaxed and allowed Maria to touch her, nuzzling into her palm. Maria brushed her finger over Tsubasa’s lips, removing some traces of blood and a little piece of meat. 

“You recognize me, don’t you?” Maria smiled. She noticed that somehow Tsubasa remembered her even if only at the level of senses and began to trust her more. “I’m so happy you surpassed death, but I don’t know what to do. Are you some eastern mythical creature now? I’m not familiar with the legends well enough.” Maria sighed, but kept talking her mind out without the expectation of any answer. “Here only you know about these sorts of things, if you only could explain it to me…” Tsubasa looked sad and human, yet so distant. Maria still could feel the weak presence of the real Tsubasa in her gaze, but it was too ephemeral.

Maria winced slightly and recoiled back as she felt a sharp pain in her forearm. She looked at it and saw Tsubasa’s hand clinging to her. There was no aggression in this action, but sharp claws still pierced Maria’s shirt and dug into her skin. She reached her hand to Tsubasa’s waist and gently pulled her closer.

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone again.” Maria protectively hugged Tsubasa, laying a hand on her hair. Her cheek accidently touched one of Tsubasa’s horns, which was warm to the touch. She unconsciously rubbed her cheek on it and felt Tsubasa shudder at this action, clinging tightly to Maria. “Let’s get out of here.”

Maria hooked one arm under Tsubasa’s knees with the other under her back and carefully raised her. Tsubasa didn’t resist at all. She only snuggled to Maria, burying her nose in her shoulder and breathing in the familiar scent. Feeling this, Maria held her closer and smiled.

“And what do you think you are doing?” The familiar irritated voice came from behind Maria, forcing her to stop. She reluctantly turned around and faced that strange girl who had brought them to the castle in the first place. Maria had a suspicion that she had some mental problems. All the way she was talking and arguing to herself, but Maria tried to ignore it since she was the only person who could offer her and Tsubasa help. “She’ll stay here.”

“I don’t know what you were planning to do with her, but I won’t allow it. She isn’t dangerous anymore and will stay with me.” Maria answered calmly but with a menacing frown, while tightening her grip on Tsubasa. “You have no right to decide her fate.” 

“I have all rights to decide. I’m Carol Malus Dienheim and this is my Chateau, while you are just a woman who lost her mind in grief. Here you will do what I say.” Carol’s voice rumbled in the narrow space, making it hard to believe that it belonged to a person with such a small and fragile body. “Or take her and get out of here. I won’t be generous twice.” 

“You are Carol?!” Maria was taken by surprise. She couldn’t even imagine that the mysterious alchemist they were looking for was this insane girl. “But when we met you said that the Association agents were after Carol, not after you, it doesn’t make sense at all.” 

“Because it wasn’t me.” Carol groaned, rolling her eyes. “No, I won’t calm down. You created this stupid situation, and now I have to deal with it! Why did you even have to go out alone this evening?!” She suddenly turned her head away and began to talk to someone, ignoring Maria’s presence. 

“And you call me insane.” Maria raised her eyebrow watching this fight with an imaginary companion. If this really was the Carol they were looking for, then it was a big disappointment. She expected to see a genius, not another psycho like Dr. Ver. “Carol or not, I won’t listen to a lunatic who talks to herself.” 

“Why do you both have to be so insufferable?! Deal with it yourself!” Carol barked in irritation and lowered her head. “I-I’m so sorry! Carol has a short temper, but she is really nice person…Please forgive her!” The tone of her voice changed instantly, as she began to blurt out apologies. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Maria tilted her head and sighed. She was getting tired of this conversation. “Is this some kind of a game?” 

“N-no! I’m Elfnein and we are sharing a body with Carol… It’s hard to explain, b-but it’s a result of an experiment Carol carried out a few years ago and…” Elfnein began to mumble an explanation of the mentioned experiment, but then stopped once she noticed that Maria wasn’t paying attention. “Carol was right on one thing. It’s dangerous to take her out of here.” She pointed at Tsubasa, not knowing the better term to call her without offending Maria. “This place and chains can hold her if she falls into a fury state again.” 

“She won’t. Look at her, she is weak and in pain. I can’t leave her alone in a damn dungeon.” Maria argued back. She could see the logic in Elfnein’s words, but refused to accept it. Her own experience of being in jail when she needed help was too fresh in her memory. It was quite ironic since the tables had turned around so fast. A few days ago, Tsubasa was at Maria’s place, coming to rescue her from the prison and risking her life, now it was the other way around. “Tsubasa didn’t leave me behind in a similar situation before. She wasn’t afraid when I could’ve killed her, nor would I be afraid now. She recognizes me, I’m sure of it…” 

“Ma…ia…” Maria’s eyes widened in disbelief as she heard a quite whisper. She looked down at Tsubasa, who looked half asleep and not fully connected to reality, mumbling unconsciously. 

“Yes, Tsubasa, it’s me.” Maria whispered back and smiled. “Can you see it now?” She looked up at Elfnein and confidently passed by her, heading out of the laboratory. “I’ll take responsibility if something happens.” She added coldly, glancing at Elfnein and stepped through the doorway. 

Maria wanted to leave this place as fast as possible. Tsubasa needed rest after everything she went through. Relying on her memory and senses, Maria slowly, but confidently returned to her room. When the door closed behind them, she exhaled in relief. She walked across the room and carefully lowered Tsubasa onto the bed and lay next to her. 

Maria wrapped her arm around Tsubasa’s waist and moved closer to her. There was not much she could do for her right now; couldn’t even warm her up with her own body, but Maria sill wished to stay closer. Finally, she could relax and forget about everything while feeling Tsubasa’s presence. She slowly drifted to sleep, closely listening to the steady heartbeat she was so afraid to lose. 

Several hours passed when Maria was woken up by strange sounds and movement beside her. She harshly sat up on the bed, realizing where she was and what was going on. Next to her under the blanket was a slightly trembling lump. Looking around she noticed feathers scattered around and then holes in a pillow. She took the edge of the blanket and carefully pulled it up. Tsubasa was there curling into a ball, grasping her forearms tightly and breathing heavily.

“What’s wrong, Tsubasa?” Maria barely held the panic back. She touched Tsubasa’s shoulder and felt how hot her skin was. Tsubasa was burning with a fever and began to pant. 

“…all… hurts…” Tsubasa mumbled, weakly opening her eyes. Her whole body was in pain, while her consciousness drifted on the edge of sanity. She could hardly understand where she was and what was going on, but the sound of Maria’s voice became an anchor to her. 

Maria looked over Tsubasa’s body and her eyebrows rose in surprise. Strange marks began to appear all over Tsubasa’s skin, taking quaint shapes which resembled spurts of flames. They were slowly appearing one by one, causing more pain for Tsubasa. 

“Hold on, Tsubasa.” Maria unbuttoned her shirt and took it off, tossing it away. “This should help.” She leaned closer to Tsubasa and wrapped her in her arms, pressing her chest to Tsubasa’s back. She snuck her hands under her arms and pressed her palms to Tsubasa’s chest. The fast heartbeat and heavy breathing gradually calmed down. “Is it better now?’ 

“Yeah.” Tsubasa breathed out, relaxing as Maria’s cold skin touched hers. The burning sensation began to fade, allowing her to think more clearly. She looked around but couldn’t understand where she was and didn’t remember how she got here. It was a completely unfamiliar room, but Maria was here with her. “It wasn’t a dream, right?”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked, pulling Tsubasa closer and pressing her nose to her hair. She could feel Tsubasa’s confusion and wanted to steady her as much as she could. 

“I died…” Tsubasa mumbled quietly, pressing her palm to the bedsheet. She looked down at her own hand and a lump appeared in her throat. It wasn’t a human hand. It didn’t even feel like hers. “But I’m alive. Why?” 

“I’m not sure.” Maria answered honestly. “I’m not an expert in such things. I’m just happy you are alive.” She pressed her lips to Tsubasa’s shoulder, reassuring her that everything was fine. “Do you remember anything else?”

“I…” Tsubasa opened her mouth, but her throat went dry, making it hard to speak. The memories were blurry and hazy, but she still remembered the major moments. “Everything became dark and cold. I didn’ want to die and then…” She shut her eyes tight. “Then fire. Screams. I could feel only terrible hunger and an all-consuming rage. The urge to destroy everything around. I saw everything but didn’t understand what was happening.”

“You were not yourself.” Maria hugged her tighter. “You were confused and scared.” 

“I’m a monster now.” Tsubasa swallowed hard, and clenched the sheets in her fingers, accidentally tearing it with her claws. She immediately let it go and broke free from the embrace. Then she pushed herself up, facing Maria. “I tried to kill you.” She gritted her teeth, noticing pale scars on Maria’s cheek and forearm. “I hurt you…” Tsubasa raised her hand and wanted to touch Maria’s cheek, but instantly pulled it back. 

“It’s just a scratch.” Maria shook her head and caught Tsubasa’s hand, gently squeezing it. “Need something more powerful to really hurt me.”

“But it didn’t heal yet. It’s not a common scratch.” Tears rolled down Tsubasa’s cheeks and she looked away. “Why didn’t you kill me? I was insane, I…”

“Enough.” Maria pulled her closer, pressing Tsubasa’s head to her chest. “How could I take your life with my own hands? I just saw how you came back from the dead.” She felt how Tsubasa hesitantly laid her hand on her shoulder. 

“But why? Why did I survive?” Tsubasa mumbled quietly, understanding that Maria had no answers for her. She felt like she was slowly drowning in fear, clinging to Maria. “What have I become?” 

“I don’t know. Neither me or Carol have seen anything similar.” Maria answered honestly, stroking Tsubasa’s back. “You should take a look at yourself. You have a quite unique appearance now. For a trained hunter like yourself it should be easy to tell what you are now.” 

“But there are no mirrors.” Tsubasa pointed out after looking around. Despite the size of the room, the interior was quite poor. There were only several cupboards and nightstands on both sides of the bed. 

“It’s not a problem at all.” Maria chuckled, gently pushing Tsubasa up and taking her hand. “We don’t really need it.” She stood up from the bed and tugged Tsubasa along, leading her to the large window. She pushed the curtains open and moved aside. 

Tsubasa stepped closer and froze in disbelief. The darkness of the night made it possible for her to see a reflection, though she preferred to have never seen it. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t form any words. She touched the glass and her claws clinked against it. Carefully looking at each part of her altered body, Tsubasa refused to believe in the reality of this moment. It had to be some kind of nightmare. She clenched her fist and looked away from the window, unable to look at herself anymore.

“What’s wrong, Tsubasa?” Maria called to Tsubasa, stepping behind her and laying her hands on her shoulders. She felt a slight tremble in her body and the sudden increase in rhythm of her pulse. It was worrisome so she hurried up to smooth over the moment. “Take a deep breath, Tsubasa.” 

“Oni…” She whispered and did as Maria asked her. “But it’s impossible! No one has seen any in many centuries.” Denial came swiftly and she refused to believe in the reality of all this happening to her. Her panic grew and she wanted to turn away and leave, but felt the firm steadying hold on her shoulders. “And that would mean I…” 

“What would it mean?” Maria asked calmly, rubbing Tsubasa’s shoulders. She had to help her go through it and prevent a possible disaster. 

“In legends, when the truly wicked humans die, they become oni and serve in hell, or it can happen while they are still alive, but that means that their soul is beyond any redemption.” Tsubasa’s voice was distant and cold. “One way or another that means I’m a cursed and terrible person.” 

“It’s only a legend. And I’m a living proof that it doesn’t work the way it is written in books and told in stories. Don’t you think that it was always in your blood? Remember how fast your wounds healed before and the agonizing burning sensation?” Maria leaned closer, pressing her bare chest to Tsubasa’s back and leaning closer to her ear. “And ‘wicked’ is quite a relative concept. Some might say I’m an awful person, but is it really true?” 

“I don’t know what to do now. Does it mean my whole life was even a bigger lie than I thought? Did my family know about it?” Tsubasa mumbled, powerlessly bowing her head. “How am I supposed to live now? I can’t even go outside because I’ll scare people and cause chaos.” 

“We’ll figure something out.” Maria interrupted Tsubasa, gently squeezing her shoulders. “Don’t try to solve everything at once. It needs time.” 

“Maria, I’m a damn demon now!” Maria’s calm reaction suddenly induced a wave of anger in Tsubasa. “Look at me, I even have horns. And all these marks.” She looked at her arms and gritted her teeth with an unpleasant rattle, watching Maria’s reaction in the window’s reflection. “How can you accept it so easily?” 

“Because you are still Tsubasa.” Maria slid her hands down and wrapped them around Tsubasa. She smirked, touching Tsubasa’s chest, and tracing her fingertips down between her breasts. She glided her hand further down, caressing Tsubasa’s belly. “And these marks look rather erotic.” 

“Are you saying it just to make me feel better?” Tsubasa’s voice trembled and she looked away from the window. Looking at their reflection became unbearably embarrassing. A shiver ran through her, as Maria’s cold fingers kept exploring her naked body. She squeaked, feeling the rough pressure of nails dragging across her thighs. 

“Why would I waste words to make you feel better when I can make you feel good without any?” Maria licked Tsubasa’s neck. “I just want you to understand that nothing’s changed. Not in my feelings and not in desires.” The urge to taste her blood grew in Maria as she felt how hot Tsubasa’s body was getting. “But maybe I really should do it in a simpler way.” 

Tsubasa gasped, feeling the teeth on her shoulder, but no pain followed. Maria was only teasing and playing with her. She relaxed and rested her head on Maria’s shoulder, succumbing to the sensation. All thoughts escaped her mind and she winced when Maria touched one of her horns. 

“But horns are definitely something uncommon. Do you feel anything when I touch it?” Maria asked with a smirk, continuing to caress the horn with her fingers. She already knew the answer through Tsubasa’s reaction, but couldn’t resist the chance to see her cute embarrassed face.

“It feels strange.” Tsubasa mumbled, barely holding back a moan. She wanted to sound more impassive, but failed. Her face flushed red, as she noticed Maria’s satisfied face in the reflection. “You have a strange taste, Maria.” 

“You didn’t change at all, Tsubasa.” Maria smiled and gently pushed Tsubasa’s chin up, leaning closer. “Even as oni you are so cute and lovely.” She pressed their lips together in a lasting kiss, breaking it only when need for air became unbearable. “I’m glad you are back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And once again thanks to [turtle mode ](https://twitter.com/topturtling) for the great concept art of [oni Tsubasa](https://twitter.com/topturtling/status/1230872913227767809)!


	13. Chapter 13

Lying down on the bed, Tsubasa carefully wrapped her arms around Maria’s waist and rested her head on her shoulder. She rubbed her nose on Maria’s skin, as she felt a gentle touch on her back. All the worries about her new state faded for now along with her fears and anxiety. Next to Maria she felt calm and safe. 

“We should learn more about oni.” Maria said quietly, stroking Tsubasa’s back. “As for myself, I only managed to explore how hot they are inside and what kind of lovely sounds they can make.” She laughed, noticing the pink tint on Tsubasa’s cheeks. 

“It’s not funny, Maria.” Tsubasa frowned, trying to make a serious face. “Oni are dangerous creatures who torture and kill people. Some of them had great power and were really hard to kill. There are so many different legends about them, but one thing is always certain – oni are evil and dangerous.”

“Then it’s one more reason to hurry with our research.” Maria sighed, understanding that what she was going to say would upset Tsubasa. “What if you fall into a frenzy again? It was nearly a fight to the death. I don’t want to risk our lives over and over.” 

“If I only could go to the Kazanari archive…” Tsubasa snuggled closer to Maria, seeking more comfort. She had to admit that her knowledge wasn’t really deep in this area. “During training, I was told to not waste time on studying long extinct creatures and had been given only basic knowledge. But…” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Now I think that maybe there was another reason. With everything that grandfather said to me…” She was unable to continue. She felt a slight tremble through her whole body, which only grew as she tried to turn her thoughts into words. “That I have to become a monster to protect the nation.” 

“It could be a metaphor.” Maria laid her hand on Tsubasa’s and stroked it with her thumb. She knew that there was a very small possibility that the head of such an influential and powerful family didn’t know a thing about their bloodline, but also she couldn’t so easily accept the notion that they hid it from Tsubasa. 

“You don’t believe it either, don’t try to convince me. He knew it.” Tsubasa slightly gritted her teeth, feeling the anger and nuisance rise. The further she moved from the ideals of her family, the more lies she saw in them. “But why? Why not tell me if it could happen at any moment? Why hide it? Father too...” Many questions appeared one after the other in her head, but it only confused her more. She wanted to ask her father, or her uncle about this. She might not have been very close to them, but their silence on the matter still felt like a betrayal. 

“They could have believed it would never happen. Or they were afraid that it would happen for sure if you knew about it.” Maria squeezed Tsubasa’s hand. “Don’t think about it now, we can ask them later.” 

“We?” Tsubasa pushed herself up and looked down at Maria. Accustomed to rely mostly on herself, Tsubasa didn’t expect to hear this. 

“Yes, we. I’m going to be with you at that moment. I have a lot of things to say to your father and he’d better have good explanations.” She raised her hand and touched Tsubasa’s cheek, cupping it with her palm. “You won’t face it alone.”

“Thank you.” Tsubasa laid her hand atop Maria’s. She smiled as she felt warmth of happiness in her chest. For a moment she completely forgot about everything that had happened and where they were, but then her gaze fell on the pale scratch marks on Maria’s shoulders. It was a reminder that even in intimate and passionate moments she was still dangerous and could hurt Maria. 

“What’s wrong?” Maria noticed how Tsubasa’s smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. She was thinking about something right now and Maria couldn’t help but begin to worry. 

“You need to drink more of my blood.” Tsubasa said bluntly, shifting to her knees next to Maria. With her new appearance, her serious expression looked almost threatening.

“I already drank a lot when we fought. You are still weak. It’s dangerous to take more.” Maria propped herself up, pressing her back to the bed headboard. “It might even trigger your berserk state again.” 

“But you need to heal faster and it’s my fault. These sharp claws…” Tsubasa looked down at her hands, and moved her fingers to have a better look at the claws. She couldn’t get used to them. Even the simplest motion could lead to disaster. 

“Can’t blame you for being clingy at the peak of pleasure. It means I do it well and you are really enjoying it.” Maria smirked, as the memory of the night appeared in her mind. Her back was still aching, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t handle. It was painful at first, but back then the feeling of Tsubasa’s body curving under her touches and listening to her moaning her name was more important. She knew how hard Tsubasa was trying to hold back and not dig her claws deeper into her skin, so she didn’t blame her at all. 

“Besides,” Tsubasa cleared her throat, pretending she didn’t hear what Maria said even as her cheeks were turning bright red. “If the legends are true, it shouldn’t be a problem for me. Oni possess high regeneration and I should have fully recovered already.” 

“You are asking me to drink your blood way too often lately. You just really like it, don’t you?” Maria smirked wider, baring her fangs. She couldn’t really explain it, but the moment of the bite felt really intimate, bringing about a sensation incomparable to anything. She always could sense Tsubasa’s rising pulse and arousal, but could only imagine what exactly she felt when it happened.

“You need to heal.” Tsubasa protested. She was ready to bring up more reasons, but Maria took her hand and pulled her closer. She made a surprised whine, reflexively grabbing the headboard. 

“I’ll do it, but you should keep your hands to yourself.” Maria whispered leaning closer and brushing Tsubasa’s hair away from her neck. “Otherwise it would make no sense.” 

Tsubasa slowly nodded in response and gulped, feeling Maria’s breath on her skin. She threw her leg over Maria, pressing her knees on both sides of Maria’s thighs and laying her other hand on the headboard too. It wasn’t the first time she offered herself to Maria, but it still hadn’t become a routine. The anticipation was always there along with the need to feel this delicious pain which had been making her very core tremble pleasantly. She squeezed the edge of the headboard as she felt Maria run her tongue over her neck. 

“Your heart is beating so fast.” Maria whispered huskily, laying her hands on Tsubasa’s waist. “And your body is getting so hot. Enticing.” She slid her hands down, following Tsubasa’s curves, and grabbed her hips. The quiet sound of cracking wood from behind her reached her ears, as she bit Tsubasa’s neck and felt the blood flow into her mouth. She didn’t pay attention to it during the fight, but Tsubasa’s blood tasted differently now. The flavor was hard to identify, but it reminded Maria of a warm wine mingled with spicy tones she had never tasted before. The more she concentrated on the taste of it the more intoxicating and savory it was getting. A new sensation spread through Maria’s body. Unlike before, she immediately felt a refreshing jolt of energy and all the aching from the scratches faded. 

“M-Maria…” Tsubasa moaned her name, clinging tighter onto the headboard and leaving deep scratches on it. She felt the grip on her hips tighten, pulling her closer. Everything felt different than it was before. Every sensation became more distinct, driving her mad and awakening lustful desires. 

Another moan escaped Tsubasa’s lips when Maria moved her hand up and grabbed her buttock, squeezing it roughly. The rising heat of Tsubasa’s body was alluring and Maria couldn’t resist the need to feel more of it. She raised her knee, firmly pressing it between Tsubasa’s hips and felt the hot wetness there. She hummed in delight, when Tsubasa began to move her lower body and slowly grind against her leg, seeking more pleasant sensations. 

“You became more sensitive, didn’t you?” Maria asked, releasing Tsubasa’s neck and licking off the last drops of blood. She looked at a slowly breathing Tsubasa, noticing her unfocused gaze and slightly dilated pupils. “You can’t deny it.” 

“Yes… I need more…” Tsubasa mumbled and laid her hand on Maria’s chest, carefully pressing her fingers to it and gently digging her claws into the skin beneath. “I want to feel you, touch you.” She leaned closer to kiss Maria, but was stopped by fingers pressed to her lips. 

“Until you learn to control your strength, I won’t let you touch me again.” Maria laughed quietly. “Otherwise it’ll be an endless circle. I’ll need more of your blood and it’ll only bring you to new levels of arousal. We can’t allow ourselves to spend days in bed right now.” 

“But…” Tsubasa groaned. “I can’t let it go now.” The mix of anger and suffering was too clear in her voice. Unbearable need tantalized her, blurring her mind and vision. “Please, Maria…”

“Fine. Turn around.” Maria commanded and smirked, waving her wrist in a circular motion. She couldn’t say no when Tsubasa looked at her with a plea in her eyes. 

“W-what?!” Tsubasa’s cheeks flushed bright red, when she realized what Maria wanted her to do. “But it’s…” Her eyes widened, as she panicked looking for words. “It’s embarrassing.” She mumbled, looking away. However, the idea itself was causing a tight sensation in the pit of her belly. The need within her only grew and she had to obey if she wanted to get what she desired. She looked at Maria shyly, took a deep breath and hesitantly turned around. 

“Move closer and bend down.” Maria ran her fingertips over Tsubasa’s hips, enjoying the splendid view. “I’ll give you want you need and like this I can be sure you won’t ruin anything but the sheets.” She laughed, stroking the inner side of Tsubasa’s thigh and reaching for her lower lips. She gulped as the familiar intoxicating smell became stronger. Moving the little obstruction aside with her fingers, Maria leaned closer and traced her tongue along the slit before her, tasting the viscous fluid seeping out of there. A low groan rumbled up from the back of her own throat, as she heard Tsubasa’s lasting moan followed by a tremble under her hands. 

Reflexively Tsubasa leaned closer to Maria’s mouth and bent lower, spreading her legs wider and offering her more of herself. Moaning louder and louder she squeezed the sheet, tearing it with her claws. The embarrassment had disappeared completely, replaced by a crave for pleasure. She shivered and twitched as Maria’s tongue hungrily delved into the hot depth of her body. 

Tsubasa’s breath became fast and stuttering. She could barely keep herself in this position, putting her last bit of strength into it. With each stroke of Maria’s tongue, the throbbing sensation gradually grew in her belly, transforming into a lasting release. When the shockwave calmed down and the tension in her muscles vanished, Tsubasa fell on her side and closed her eyes, desperately trying to catch her breath. 

Maria wiped her chin and licked her lips, savoring Tsubasa’s taste. She sat up on the bed, sensing a smell of smoldered fabric, and noticed the dark spots at the places where Tsubasa gripped the sheet. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Tsubasa’s new power almost went out of control again. She brushed a lock of hair away from Tsubasa’s face and caressed her cheek. Slight pain appeared in her chest when she thought how hard it was for Tsubasa. They had to find a way to help her wield the fire of oni consciously or it would be a lifelong torture for both of them. 

A knock at the door distracted Maria from her thoughts. She looked around, searching for her clothes, and got out of the bed. She found her pants and shirt on the floor where she threw them last night. 

“One moment.” Maria said, hearing another firm knock on the door. It was rather surprising that the person was so polite and didn’t break into the room yet. She hurried to put her clothes on and hastily buttoned up her shirt. “I’ll deal with it.” Maria said to Tsubasa, who sat up on the bed and watched her attentively. She stepped closer and pulled the blanket over Tsubasa’s shoulders, covering her naked body from view. “Rest while you have a chance.” 

Maria confidently walked to the door and took a deep breath. She hesitated to open it, understanding that it would mean facing another lunatic of the local inhabitants. She didn’t believe that there was at least one sane person within this castle. The thought that it could have been a mistake to come here repeatedly crossed her mind, but there was no way back now. She reached out for the knob and opened the door.

“I didn’t want to interrupt anything…” Behind the door stood Elfnein, nervously squeezing the hem of her clothing in her fingers. She seemed to be concerned and flustered for some reason. “You seemed to be... busy. I didn’t want to eavesdrop… But!” 

“Calm down.” Maria tried to smile and be less intimidating. It was certainly Elfnein, since Carol wouldn’t even try to apologize for something so trivial. Maria was glad to meet the nicer version of this girl again. “What brings you here?” She cleared her throat, covering slight embarrassment. It was careless to forget that they could be overheard, especially since Tsubasa was quite loud. 

“I wanted to see how you are doing and if it is safe to keep her out of the dungeon.” Elfnein carefully tilted her head and looked into the room. Her eyes met Tsubasa’s and she swiftly hid behind Maria again. There was something threatening in Tsubasa’s gaze and it scared her. “And Carol wanted you to join her in the dining room. She has questions she wants to ask.” 

“Good. I wanted to speak with her too.” Maria nodded, accepting the offer. She had no idea how much Carol and Elfnein shared, if they even had merged memories or each had her own, so she had to talk directly to Carol. Only she knew for sure about the matter Maria wanted to ask about. “Tsubasa will come with me, but I’m afraid it’s not really polite to arrive naked. All of her clothes were burned.” 

“You can take anything from the cupboards. The clothes there may be a bit old, but it’s the best I can offer right now.” Elfnein smiled awkwardly. “Garie will come in an hour to escort you.” She turned around and hurried to leave, nearly running away. 

Watching her leave, Maria frowned and then closed the door. She had almost gotten used to the strange behavior of the girl with a split personality, and she could swear that Elfnein was scared of staying here alone. It was reasonable to be wary of dangerous strangers, but it was still unpleasant to be on the receiving end of such treatment. 

“You heard it. We are invited for dinner.” Maria turned around and began to laugh, as she noticed grumpy Tsubasa wrapped in the blanket up to her neck. Maybe this was exactly what scared Elfnein, but for Maria it looked rather comical. “What’s with this attitude? Are you not hungry?”

“I am, but the scent of this girl makes me anxious.” Tsubasa made a strange low sound close to grunt and grimaced. “I don’t like smelling everything around so clearly.” She buried her nose in the blanket and sighed. “It’s same for you, isn’t it? How are you dealing with it?” 

“At first it was really unpleasant. Especially in the city full of people and trash.” Maria chucked softly, coming closer to Tsubasa and laying her hand between her horns. “You’ll get used to it soon.” She stroked Tsubasa’s hair and smiled. She knew this feeling better than anyone, but all she could do for Tsubasa was help her get through it. “Let’s find something for you to wear.” 

Both Maria and Tsubasa went to the cupboards and began to examine the contents. In first one they found some clothes; most of them were styled with fancy quilling and strange embroidery from a bygone era. However, fashion was the last thing to worry about; the biggest question was if it would fit or not. 

“This is ridiculous.” Tsubasa pressed her lips into a thin line holding a strange small dress in her hands. “There are mostly clothes for little girls here.” She groaned, taking another piece of clothing, though it was still a kid’s size.

“The owner of the place is a little girl after all.” Maria shrugged, carefully sorting out the cupboard’s contents. “At least she looks like that, as well as her subordinates or friends. I’m not sure who they are.” She laughed, casting a glance at Tsubasa’s displeased face. “I think you would look cute in it. Sadly, it won’t fit.” 

“I won’t look cute in this at all.” Tsubasa answered with a serious expression on her face, but a pink tint touched her cheeks. “Demons like me shouldn’t wear cute clothes.” She threw away another dress and sighed. 

“And what is it that oni are supposed to wear?” Maria raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She didn’t give it much thought, but maybe there was even a dress code for some mythical creatures. Thoughts about vampires and their descriptions in literature appeared immediately in her mind. Yet she had to admit, her common style was close to those in books. “Don’t tell me you want to follow some strange stereotypes.” 

“I haven’t lost my dignity and won’t wrap animal skins around my body. But still, I would prefer something more loose and comfortable right now.” Tsubasa sighed, thinking about the traditional clothes of her country. “It’s hot here and I’d better not wear anything at all.” Her tone was serious and calm, showing that she wasn’t joking at all. She moved to the other cupboard and opened its drawer.

“Animal skins?” Maria stared at Tsubasa for a moment, imagining how it could look, but then shook her head casting away this image from her mind. “I won’t allow you to walk around naked in public. But you can do it all the time when we are back home.” 

“Maybe this will do.” Tsubasa said, holding some strange trousers in her hands. “Finally something in a normal size.” She bent down and shoved one of her legs into the pants. The sound of tearing cloth followed, along with Tsubasa’s groan of irritation. She pulled the pants up but only caused more sounds of destruction. A fire flared around her hands, burning up the fabric she held in them.

“Tsubasa!” Maria hurried to take the trousers away from Tsubasa and choked the fire by trampling on it. She understood that Tsubasa was furious and lost her temper because of a simple nuisance. It wasn’t like her at all, yet it wasn’t surprising either. “Relax and breathe. You were taught to keep your cool in any situation, weren’t you?” Maria laid her hands on Tsubasa’s shoulders, steadying her. She gently rubbed her shoulders, helping her to relax.

“Yes…” Tsubasa breathed out, lowering her head in defeat. “I don’t know what got into me.” She shook her head. “No, I know the reason, but it’s not an excuse.” She brushed away Maria’s hands and moved aside. A wave of despair washed over her, as she comprehended that she could hardly control her emotions now. Not just her senses, but everything became stronger and far beyond human nature. “This power… I have to hold it back, but it flows like water through my fingers and I can’t stop it.” 

“You will learn to wield it.” Maria stepped closer and hugged Tsubasa. “It’s stupid to expect that you are going to be in full control of it immediately.” She laid her hand on Tsubasa’s back and soothingly caressed it. She felt how Tsubasa relaxed in her arms, releasing a weak sigh. “For now, don’t be hard on yourself. It’ll only make it worse.” 

Tsubasa nodded but didn’t answer anything. Understanding that she needed some time to sort her thoughts out, Maria just held her closer for a few minutes. It was always easier to give advice than to follow it, and she could only hope that Tsubasa would at least take her words into account. Then she released Tsubasa from the embrace and a devious smile appeared on her lips.

“Now let me help you to put this on.” Maria took the shirt she noticed right before the fire incident and showed it to Tsubasa. It was a common white shirt with buttons, but the fabric going down from the collar, along with similar decorations on the cuffs, made it look rather fancy and strange. “It’s the only thing you can wear.” 

Tsubasa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t want to wear it at all, but more than that she didn’t want to be helpless and be dressed up by Maria. Nevertheless, she understood that it was inevitable. With a displeased hum, she clenched her fists and carefully shoved her hands into the sleeves of the shirt, which Maria had been patiently holding for her. 

“Don’t make such a grumpy face.” Maria chuckled, looking at an irked Tsubasa while she began fastening the shirt’s buttons. “For me it’s a torture as well. I prefer to undress you.” 

“I look like an actor in an awful staging.” Tsubasa grumbled, ruffling the fabric on her chest. She looked for a way to get rid of it but the decoration was sewed pretty tightly. The shirt itself was quite loose for Tsubasa’s figure, making her look even more funny. “Maria! Stop laughing.” 

“Sorry, but…” Maria covered her mouth, unable to hold the laugh back. Tsubasa definitely looked ridiculous in this shirt, but there was nothing else she could wear instead of it. Finally, she took a deep breath and managed to get a hold of herself. “It’s still better than nothing.” 

Tsubasa groaned and almost snarled, but stopped the wave of irritation just in time. She took a deep breath and then slowly released the air from her lungs, trying to calm down. It wasn’t the end of the world and she could deal with it for some time, after all, it certainly wouldn’t be polite to attend a nearly official meeting naked. 

“There is also another pair of pants.” Maria took the other piece of clothing and knelt down before Tsubasa. She ran her fingers over each of Tsubasa’s ankles coaxing her feet into the trousers’ legs. “Must be uncomfortable to wear it without underwear, but it’s only for today.” Maria brushed her fingers over Tsubasa’s skin, as she stood and guided the pants up her legs. She glanced at Tsubasa and smirked, noticing that she was holding her breath while watching Maria. 

“You are enjoying this too much.” Tsubasa narrowed her eyes, seeing the smug smile playing on Maria’s lips. “Don’t get used to it. I won’t be so helpless for long.” All her serious attitude shattered instantly when Maria finally towered over her and raised her eyebrow. Tsubasa gasped in surprise when Maria abruptly pulled the pants over her hips and slid her fingers onto the waistband, searching for the buttons. 

“We will discuss it later.” Maria smirked, leaning closer to Tsubasa’s ear. “For now, learn to enjoy it.” She whispered, fastening the buttons of Tsubasa’s new pants. “But dare I remind you; you can’t trick me. You like it, even if you pretend that you don't.”

Maria stepped away still smirking, pleased by Tsubasa’s flustered expression. She gave Tsubasa a level look and hummed thoughtfully. Footwear was still missing. She looked at Tsubasa’s feet which now also had claws and frowned. They couldn’t find anything suitable here for sure.

Suddenly the door opened with a thud and Garie appeared in the door frame. A devilish smile played on her lips, as she looked around the room. When her eyes stopped at Tsubasa, she began to laugh, not even trying to hold it back. 

“It isn’t time yet.” Maria said, turning around and facing Garie. Her tone was openly hostile, while narrowed eyes made her expression threatening. “You came half an hour earlier.” She didn’t expect much courtesy from anyone here, but hoped that she could at least believe Elfnein’s words. There had to be enough time left and Maria wanted to look for a clean shirt for herself too, but her plans were ruined. She found consolation in fact that it wasn’t her fault after all, but staying in clothes covered in blood stains was unpleasant. 

“My Master demanded to bring you earlier. She isn’t in the mood to wait until you’ve played enough with your pet.” Garie giggled, once again glancing at Tsubasa then switching her attention back to Maria. “Looks like you are ready, let’s not waste time then.” 

“We have to play along.” Maria lowered her voice, turning her head to Tsubasa. “I’m sure you understand. It’s going to be hard, but try to stay calm and don’t let them provoke you.” 

“I know.” Tsubasa answered just as quietly, frowning and glaring at Garie. Some pieces of cloudy memories about the dungeon flashed in her mind, awakening the desire to break Garie’s neck. 

After exchanging a meaningful look, Tsubasa and Maria left the room and followed Garie through the maze of halls. This evening promised to be a real challenge of their composure and patience.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Huge wooden doors opened almost soundlessly after Garie’s slight push. The room behind them was immense and splendid, but it was hard to estimate its real beauty in the dim light of the lamps. In the middle of it all was a large ornate table, certainly designed for a banquet with numerous guests, yet there were only a few chairs near it. The table was filled with different dishes and served up for three people. 

Both Maria and Tsubasa felt uncomfortable. Their steps echoed in the heavy silence while they followed Garie through the room. Everything looked posh and luxurious, while neither of them fit into such an environment. Both believed that it wouldn’t matter much, considering the situation they were in. The smell of the food filled the room, but it caught mostly Tsubasa’s attention and her stomach drearily grumbled. At the same time, the smells didn’t bother Maria at all. She was more concerned about the people present. 

At the head of the table sat Carol, resting her chin on her fist. On her shoulders was a fancy ornate blue mantle, which made her look more imposing and a bit older than she was, yet it was still difficult to see anything but a child in her. She seemed to be relaxed and bored as she attentively watched her guests. One of her eyebrows went up in slight surprise, as she took a better look at Maria and Tsubasa, then her expression changed back to neutral in a split second. 

There were two women who stood right behind Carol, one at each side, and they looked way older than Micha and Garie, but still had the same lack of life presence. One of them was wearing a dark green form fitting vest over a teal shirt with loose sleeves and a long skirt that matched the vest’s color. She smiled when she met Maria’s eyes, raising her gloved hand and elegantly tossing a lock of long brown hair over her shoulder. The other woman didn’t look at the guests at all. Dark purple hair covered half of her face, making it hard to descry it. Her outfit was a bit similar to her associate’s, but the olive-green color of her shirt stood out, and the style of her tight pants was rather confusing. 

“Take a seat.” Carol’s words broke the silence. It sounded more like an order, instead of a polite offer. “And you, Garie, leave. Your presence will only complicate everything.” 

“I’ll be around. Call me if something happens.” Garie bowed to Carol and turned around, smirking at Maria and Tsubasa. “I don’t want to miss any fun.” She added and walked out, closing the door behind her. 

“As I see, you regained your consciousness. A pity. Now you will complain way too much if I start researching you.” Carol sighed in disappointment, watching Maria and Tsubasa taking their places. “But your… associate would make it hard for me either way.” She humphed, casting a displeased glance at Maria. 

“Not only hard, but also painful.” Maria answered before Tsubasa managed to say anything. She smiled at Carol, but the threat in her voice was heard clearly. “But I believe you invited us here for other reason, not to show off your arrogance once again.” 

Everyone in the room looked at Maria after her bold words. She openly mocked the master of the castle in front of her subordinates and didn’t even flinch for a second. The two women at Carol’s sides were clearly irked by her words, but they remained silent, only clenching their fists. 

Tsubasa frowned looking at Maria and pressed her lips in a thin line. She thought that their plan was to not fall to provocations and certainly not to provoke them in return, but Maria did otherwise. However, her concern was weakening swiftly, as the smell of food kept drawing her attention to the table. A torturous hunger was close to taking over her common sense and usurping control of her actions, but for now she could still hold it back.

Maria herself, despite the brave facade, felt a slight tremble inside. She had to show Carol that they were not afraid even while being in her domain and outnumbered, but it was a risky move. Her body tensed, prepared to act in case her words caused a fierce reaction. 

“True. Let’s not waste time on empty talks.” To everyone’s surprise Carol didn’t parry Maria’s words and just changed the subject. “I wanted to know why you were looking for me in the first place.” She noticed Tsubasa’s famished look and rolled her eyes. “This is not for decoration, eat what you want.” 

“We looked for you because there were rumors that you were involved in Doctor Ver’s research for some time.” Maria skipped the details and went right to the point. Playing around made no sense and plain answers would be received by asking plain questions. “What do you know about his serum?” 

“You mean the one he used on you in the end?” Carol laughed, noticing how Maria tensed at her words. “He showed me some strange hand which had been discovered in an ancient tomb, at least that’s what he said about it. It was in a suspiciously good state and I didn’t really believe him.” She picked up a golden goblet and took a sip from it before continuing. “He asked if it was possible to recover the whole creature from it. Sounds absurd, right? But it isn’t if you look at it from another perspective. The serum is the very essence of that beast the hand belonged to. At least it’s the closest possible thing to it, considering the lack of material.” 

“I guessed as much.” Maria gritted her teeth, realizing that Carol’s words held very little new or useful information. “But why be obsessed with it to such an extent? Isn’t there an easier way to turn someone into a vampire? Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many of them.”

“Common ones – yes. But it’s nearly impossible to make something as perfect as primal vampires.” Carol smirked, looking at Maria above her goblet. “You are rather a masterpiece.” 

Silence hung in the air and the tension grew exponentially. Maria didn’t know what to make of Carol’s words. Everything was clear, yet she still couldn’t catch the motive behind all of this. It still didn’t explain for what reason it had to be her. 

A sudden strange creaking sound broke all of that at once. When everyone looked at the source of the sound, they saw a baffled Tsubasa, who held a wry fork and a bent knife in her hands. When she was ready to start dinner, holding cutlery appeared to be a frank challenge for her. With these claws her hands became clumsy and holding small items turned out to be a big problem. She managed to get a fine grip on the fork and the knife, but when she tried to cut a piece of meat, they bent under the pressure and slid over the plate. 

“Sorry.” Tsubasa guiltily looked at Maria, laying down the broken cutlery. She felt awkward and had no idea what to do now as her hunger grew bigger and she couldn’t satisfy it fast enough. She began to think about taking the food with her bare hands, but it would cause even more distraction and mess. 

Maria reached for the fork before her to offer it to Tsubasa, but her hand froze an inch away from it. The cutlery looked like it was made of silver and she didn’t want to test her luck and get burned over it.

“Fear not. I’m not so cruel.” Carol laughed, watching Maria’s hesitation. It certainly would be funny to watch a vampire using silver cutlery, but she decided to not go this way today. However, she was amused by the fact that Maria was careful enough and didn’t grab it without thinking. “It’s only an imitation of silver.” 

After a brief incredulous glance at Carol, Maria took the fork and the knife in her hands and reached for Tsubasa’s plate. She cut the piece of meat and a mix of juice and blood trickled out of it. As she did this, her ears caught a quiet gulping sound along with a muffled growl of anticipation. 

“Here.” Maria passed the fork to Tsubasa, helping her to get a better grip on it. When she made sure that the problem was solved, she turned her head back to Carol. This brief distraction gave her a moment to sort out all of her thoughts and some pieces began to fall together. “Everything is connected to my family somehow, isn’t it?” Adam mentioned pointing out her family to Ver. Back then she thought it was about how her father interfered in the Association’s plans. 

“I never was curious about his delusional plans.” Carol humphed, placing the now empty goblet back on the table. “I only proved to him that there is nothing impossible and no miracles are needed to restore something that long gone. Maybe it’s not an original form of that creature, but you still possess all of the abilities it had during its life.” She smirked and her eyes shined with pure curiosity. “I would like to study you. How fast can you heal? Can you recover a lost limb? There are so many things I want to know.” 

A slight chill ran down Maria’s spine as she listened to Carol’s words. She could feel a raw intention behind them, not just empty words. Carol was ready to dissect a living being just to research life’s limits and was talking about it as if it was the most casual thing ever. Both Maria and Tsubasa caught her eye and it was strange that there were no more attempts to lock either of them up in the dungeon again. 

“I won’t let you even touch her.” Tsubasa’s voice was close to a roar, filled with anger. The whole table shuddered and made a plaintive creak when she slammed her hand on its surface. Her eyes shimmered with a fire of rage and determination. If a glare could kill, Carol would already be a handful of ashes on the chair. 

“Spare me from this.” Carol made a dismissive gesture pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand. “It’s getting way too annoying to deal with you two.” She stood up from the chair and turned to her subordinates. “Leiur, when they finish eating, guide them back to their room. Phara, find them more suitable clothes. I can’t endure this nonsense any longer.” Both women bowed their heads in acknowledgement. Satisfied by this silent answer, Carol faced her guests. “I assume you want to know more about what happened to her yesterday.” She pointed at Tsubasa, who was still trying to burn a hole in Carol with her stare. “I’m going to dissolve this mystery. We will talk about it tomorrow.” 

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Carol confidently headed to the exit. The woman with brown hair, who was addressed as Phara, followed her and left the room along with her master. The other one, Leiur, looked over Maria and Tsubasa, staying silent at her place and occasionally glancing at them. 

“From where did this child get so much arrogance?” Tsubasa frowned, watching the door closing behind Carol. For her it was the first meeting with the master of the chateau while being in a sane state of mind and she concluded that dealing with this person would be tedious. “She could be more polite to guests. I won’t be able to tolerate us being treated like test subjects for long. We should leave as soon as possible.” 

“Tsubasa…” Maria sighed and glanced at Leiur. It wasn’t the best idea to discuss Carol in front of her, but she understood Tsubasa’s feelings. She herself didn’t like it either, but for her it was easier to stay calm. “We can’t just leave. How we are supposed to go back home? It will be way too hard. No freight trains stop there and getting on a passenger one is impossible…” She already thought about it, but even if they could find clothes that would hide Tsubasa’s body, no hood could cover her horns from sight. They didn’t have enough money left to rent a carriage for the whole way back. So far Maria didn’t have any other realistic solutions. “We have to be patient.” 

“Of course.” Tsubasa agreed, unwilling to argue about it any further. Nevertheless, her look was showing off her annoyance. Maria’s words reminded her that she was the main problem right now. With this new appearance she couldn’t go anywhere near common people and was the reason they had to deal with Carol. The longer she thought about all of it the more disgusted with herself she became. They came here looking for information and a cure, but found nothing but more trouble due to her lack of skills and strength. 

Maria pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling tired and whacked. Since her body changed, she never had headaches, but right now it felt like one was going to start. There was too much to deal with at the moment and she appreciated Tsubasa’s attempt to not start arguing, but she could see the familiar expression on her face. Tsubasa was deep in her thoughts and overthinking everything in a bad way. 

Nothing else could be said under the supervision of Carol’s servant even if she seemed to not pay much attention to their conversation. Maria patiently waited for Tsubasa to finish eating, though she didn’t look sated yet. Dish after dish disappeared into Tsubasa’s mouth and she still reached for the next one. Her appetite was terrifying and startling at the same time. 

Maria grabbed the goblet before her. She hoped that maybe a taste of a drink could distract her for a bit, but a strange crunchy sound reached her ears. She turned to Tsubasa and her eyes instantly went wide. She blinked several times, not believing what she saw. Frowning, Tsubasa furiously chewed another piece of meat, but in her hand remained a fork that was missing all of its prongs. 

Feeling Maria’s shocked stare, Tsubasa turned to her and slightly tilted her head to the side, trying to understand what confused Maria so much. 

Following Maria’s gaze, she looked down at her hand and froze. Up to this moment she thought that there was cartilage in the last forkful of meat, but she realized that it wasn’t that at all. Completely bewildered, she unconsciously swallowed, still looking at the now useless piece of metal in her hand. With a sigh, she put the fork aside and frowned. Left without any other options, Tsubasa raised her hand and took the next piece of meat, placing it directly in her mouth.

Maria covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled, realizing that no harm had been done. Watching over Tsubasa today, she learned some things about oni, especially how adorable they can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who worry: some things will be explained in next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Tsubasa and Maria followed Leiur through the maze of halls. They had been invited to join Carol in the library for tea and had no right to refuse. However, they became bored of spending time in their locked room and were grateful for an excuse to finally leave.

For this occasion, they were given a set of clean clothes. To Tsubasa’s relief, this time they were just simple pants and black buttoned shirts for them both. Yet, there were no boots fit for Tsubasa’s feet and as they walked further her claws softly clattered on the stone floor. She did her best to step carefully, but she couldn’t make it completely silent. 

“I don’t think that sneaking is necessary.” Maria smiled, looking at a frowning Tsubasa. It was a very cute sight, but she had to distract her beloved oni and not allow her to get irritated again. 

“But this sound is annoying and I can hear how it echoes from every corner.” Tsubasa groaned and lowered her shoulders in defeat. “It drives me mad.”

“You are concentrating on it too much.” Maria stepped closer to Tsubasa and laid her hand on her shoulder. She gently squeezed it, reassuring her, and smiled. “Now let’s hurry and meet Carol. Maybe we will find a way to change you back. If not, we can always try to file down your claws.” 

“Can we go faster?” Leiur asked, turning to them. She looked indifferent, yet obviously didn’t want to tolerate foolish delays while her master was awaiting them. “Show more respect and don’t make the host wait.” 

Tsubasa glared at Leiur and her lips twitched in annoyance until she felt the cold touch of Maria’s fingers on her wrist. A slight shiver ran through her body as the chill sensation slid down to her palm. The tender touch grounded her in a second, drawing away her negative emotions. 

“She is right. We shouldn’t make Carol wait for us so long.” Maria smiled, intertwining her fingers with Tsubasa’s and pulling her along. She already got used to the abnormal warmth of Tsubasa’s body and found it rather soothing, even if this heat could turn into an all-consuming fire.

They passed several more halls in silence and soon entered a huge room. Shelves filled with books stood along all walls, reaching the ceiling in height. The collection looked both impressive and fascinating. Without knowledge about this place anyone could spend days or weeks looking for only one specific book and still never find it. In the middle of the room was a round table with two armchairs next to it. Carol sat in one of them, thoughtfully looking at the chessboard on the table before her. 

“Checkmate.” Carol said with a victorious grin, taking one of the figures and moving it along the board. “You will never beat me.” She reached for the cup of tea next to the board and, after taking a sip from it, placed it back. “But that is enough. They are finally here and I wish to talk to them.” 

“Is she talking to herself?” Tsubasa whispered, leaning closer to Maria. For her this scene looked rather bizarre, but she didn’t notice any hint of surprise in Maria’s expression. 

“I’m not quite sure how it works, but she said that there are two different personalities or rather souls locked in her body.” Maria sighed, regretting that she didn’t mention this earlier, but she had doubts that Tsubasa would believe her without seeing it with her own eyes. “Or maybe she is just insane. Nevertheless, both of these personalities might be useful.” 

“Come here and take a seat.” Carol gestured towards the free armchair and slightly narrowed her eyes in amusement. When Maria sat down and Tsubasa stood behind her as a guard, she hummed and propped her head on her fist. “I want you to tell me all you know about her.” She addressed Maria, not even glancing at Tsubasa as if she wasn’t there at all. “You can skip the obvious parts.” Then she turned her head to Leiur who was silently standing nearby and nodded to her. Bowing her head in response, Leiur stepped aside and took the place behind Carol. 

“Stop talking like I’m a mindless pet.” Tsubasa clenched her fists and looked at Carol with the fire of rage flaring in her eyes. “I can answer for myself.” 

“You are unstable and I doubt your ability to hold a civil conversation.” Carol shrugged and her lips curved in a slight smirk. It was quite amusing for her to watch Tsubasa’s reaction. “I prefer to talk to the one who has more brains.”

“You…” Tsubasa gritted her teeth so tight that an unpleasant rattle could be heard. She laid her hands on the armchair’s back and squeezed it trying to steady herself. Her claws slowly immersed into the soft material, while her simmering anger grew.

“She became oni.” Maria interfered and pushed the conversation into a safer direction before it became too late. “And she is the one who knows a lot about such things, so I suggest you to not ignore or provoke her.” Her voice sounded cold and her expression stayed neutral, though she barely held back the desire to show Carol her place and insult her openly. 

“So, you’ve known all along what she is? You could have told me yesterday and saved me a lot of time!” Carol sat straight and slammed her hand on the chair’s arm. Her face became red as anger boiled in her, though it didn’t look very threatening. 

“Blame your own arrogance.” Maria smirked, relaxing and crossing one of her legs atop the other. She didn’t hide how pleased she was to see Carol so shaken. They wanted to bring this topic up back during dinner, but Carol left full of herself and the moment was lost. “Yesterday you were so confident that only you could solve the mystery, that we didn’t want to ruin the mood.” 

“Oni then.” Carol rolled her eyes, pressing her fingers to her forehead. It took her several minutes to calm down and continue. “I didn’t bother to study Eastern myths deeply, but there is a suitable book here.” Saying this, she stood up and headed to one of the big shelves. She stopped in front of it and looked at the books before her, beginning to walk along the length of the shelf, attentively examining each book’s spine and mumbling something under her breath. 

“Oni are demons of my homeland.” Tsubasa said calmly, following Carol with her gaze. She had doubts that there could be any useful information here, after all they were rare creatures even for the East. Furthermore, Kazanari held all information under control and would never allow any knowledge to slip away, especially if it was the truth that oni blood flowed in the veins of their family. “Few are really known in history, but they brought real disaster upon our lands.” 

“Is it like a curse then?” Carol’s attention was still concentrated on the books, but she listened to what Tsubasa said very carefully. Any little piece of information was important and could help her understand this. “Not many creatures can survive deadly wounds, but if it’s a curse that doesn’t let one die…” She frowned, rubbing her chin. “No, that sounds too ridiculous. It’s something more natural. Was there anything strange with her before?” 

“Now when I think about it…” Maria stood up and laid her hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder to get her attention. “When we just met, Tsubasa got sick, probably a common cold, but she had fever. And yet, it was gone in less than a day.” She smiled, locking confused indigo eyes with hers. 

“What was so unusual about it?” Tsubasa tilted her head a bit, looking at Maria. “It was just a light cold and I’m a well-trained healthy sentinel, of course it wouldn’t last long.” 

“No, Tsubasa. Even the strongest and healthiest men wouldn’t heal that fast. They would have other symptoms the next day, but you were already feeling well when I brought you home.” Maria chuckled at the memory and touched Tsubasa’s cheek. “Even so, you were a stranger to me. I couldn’t force myself to ignore your state.” She slowly caressed her thumb over Tsubasa’s skin. “I worried so much back then and prepared to take care of you for several days. But it was unnecessary.” 

“It could just be a coincidence.” Tsubasa shook her head and laid her hand atop Maria’s. Part of her refused to believe that her life was affected by the oni blood all along and she didn’t notice a thing. 

“Then what would you say about the wounds from my bites?” Maria lowered her voice and stepped closer to Tsubasa. She felt the confusion and denial coming from her and had to sooth it all down. “The one from the jail was really deep, but it healed so fast. Remember how you kept saying that the burning sensation was unbearable there? What else could it be but oni’s power?” 

By herself, Maria put together all of the events quite easily. In retrospect, many things made more sense now; she only had to help Tsubasa accept it. At first Maria wanted to give her more time to adjust and think, since Tsubasa tended to hold everything inside and hide her real emotions, but there was no time for that. 

“You understand it yourself. It is a part of you. Why don't you want to accept it?” Noticing the forming tears in Tsubasa’s eyes, Maria took another step closer to her and wrapped her arms around her. 

“Because it would mean that it can’t be undone.” Tsubasa mumbled quietly, pressing her cheek to Maria’s shoulder. She didn’t hug Maria back, not wanting to hurt her accidentally again. She relaxed into the protective embrace, but it didn’t ease the pain she felt within her chest. “I will stay like this forever…”

“Tsubasa…” Maria pulled her closer and pressed her cheek to her hair. “It’s not as bad as you imagine. We’ll learn to live with your new needs and abilities.” She soothingly whispered into Tsubasa’s ear, gently stroking her back. Her heart sank, as she felt a weak sigh come from Tsubasa. “But, you know, there can be a bright side to this.” Maria released Tsubasa from the embrace and carefully pushed her away to look at her face. “How long can oni live?” 

From the moment Tsubasa confessed her feelings, Maria couldn’t stop thinking about one obvious thing. She was doomed to outlive Tsubasa and eventually say farewell, seeing her off to her final journey. These thoughts were heavy and dark, yet undeniable. Seeing Tsubasa die only enhanced her fear of losing her. That time it was a miracle that saved Maria from falling into a pit of despair and pain, but next time luck might not be on her side. 

“It’s awfully selfish, but if this power will let you stay with me longer, I’m glad you became oni.” Maria leaned closer and pressed her forehead to Tsubasa’s, closing her eyes. “I understand how hard it is for you, but I’m too afraid to lose you.” She felt guilty for saying this out loud. It was a weakness she couldn’t overcome and it forced her to be happy while Tsubasa suffered. “I don’t care what difficulties and complications it brings. I will...” 

“Stop this sappy drama!” Carol exclaimed and loudly groaned. “I asked you to tell me the details of her condition, not to show me a scene from a bad romance.” She grabbed the nearest book from the shelf next to her and raised it above her head, preparing to throw it at Maria and Tsubasa, but stopped at the last moment. Suddenly her cheeks turned pink and she cleared her throat, placing the book back in its place. “Do it while you are alone, I have no desire to witness it.” 

Everyone present in the room went silent. Maria stepped away from Tsubasa, smiling apologetically to her. Influenced by the moment, she got carried away and said something she shouldn’t have, but right now she didn’t have the chance to finish it. 

“From your mumbling I only got that you mostly understand what happened to her. However, you have no clue how exactly it worked and what she gained from it.” Carol humphed, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I doubt it bothers you.” She rolled her eyes, noticing how Tsubasa and Maria silently stared at each other, ignoring her yet again. 

A rumbling sound caught both Maria and Tsubasa’s attention and they simultaneously turned their heads towards its source. At first sight of the scene before them, they instantly began to laugh. Carol sat on the floor surrounded by books, one of them stuck on her head, covering her face with its pages. 

“You should be more careful, Master.” Leiur appeared next to Carol in a flash, removing the book from her head and throwing it aside. Helping her to stand up, Leiur looked Carol over, making sure that no physical damage had been done.

“Give me that book.” Carol glared at Leiur and pointed to a book on the middle shelf, but beyond her reach. Her attempt to get it had led to this predicament and now she tried to save a bit of her dignity. However, her face was bright red and the mix of anger and embarrassment could be clearly seen. “No, the one next to it!”

When Carol finally got the needed book, she turned around and walked back to the middle of the room leaving Leiur to deal with the mess. She angrily mumbled something under her breath the entire way, until she finally settled in the armchair and sharply opened the book. She calmed down, little by little while concentrating on reading. 

Maria stepped closer to Carol and tried to look over the book. Dark blue symbols on the slightly yellowed pages were handwritten and a bit messy, but readable, yet the language was unknown to her.

“I know this language.” Tsubasa moved closer and stopped next to Maria. She frowned with concern, looking over the text Carol was reading. “All ancient scrolls in the Kazanari archive are written in it. Where did you get this?” 

“My father tried to comprehend the world and its secrets until his last day. He traveled a lot and had been looking for and making copies of all kinds of legends and ancient texts.” Carol answered calmly, still looking at the text and turning the pages. “But that was decades ago.” 

“It’s impossible. All such texts are locked in the Kazanari archive.” Tsubasa refrained from raising her voice, but she was unhappy about this situation. 

“Are you sure?” Carol raised her eyebrow and looked up at Tsubasa. “As far as I know not many people adore these Kazanari tyrants. Some scrolls could be hidden from them or even stolen and sold on black market.” 

Hearing this, Tsubasa gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tight that a trickle of blood ran down her fingers. Even if she doubted Kazanari ways now, her pride as a member and heir of the family took a strong blow. The archive was heavily guarded and it was impossible to enter without special permission. If someone took the scrolls out of there, they had to be high in rank. 

Maria swallowed slowly, sensing the smell of blood. It was only a tiny amount of it, but that was enough to awaken her thirst. She looked down at Tsubasa’s hand and took a deep breath, while her throat went dry and the slight shudder of anticipation ran through her body. She mentally swore, cursing the fact that they were not alone right now and, moreover, in the middle of an important conversation. Pushing this tantalizing desire aside, she forced herself to concentrate on the discussion. 

“Does it matter? You should thank all the gods you believe in that I have this copy.” Carol turned a few more pages and pointed at a weirdly drawn picture. “It’s exactly what we need.”

“What is it…” Maria looked at the picture, completely confused. The creature vaguely resembled a hairless red-skinned gorilla with a horn, sitting on a stone.

“It’s an oni!” Carol groaned and rolled her eyes. “He copied the picture as best as he could. He was an alchemist, not an artist.”

“No wonder you didn’t even guess what Tsubasa became.” Maria looked at Tsubasa and then at the picture again. Even considering that the creature in the book seemed to be male, there was nothing similar aside from the horn, but there was only one and it was much smaller than the ones Tsubasa had. 

“F-forget about the picture! The text is what’s important.” Carol couldn’t keep her cool and confident attitude anymore. Maria’s comments hit her in the right spots and she couldn’t contrapose anything to it. “Do you feel an urge to hide in a cave? It says oni usually live in mountains, caves or abandoned fortresses.” 

Tsubasa’s expression changed to a thoughtful one and she crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head to one side, delving deeper into her thoughts. One by one she tried to sort out all of the new sensations she experienced, but couldn’t say for sure what desires prevailed.

“Tsubasa… You are not seriously thinking about it, right?” Maria sighed and raised her hand, pressing fingers to her forehead. “It gives us nothing even if it’s true. Also, I won’t let you live in a cave.” 

“You can’t beat the instincts. If she has them, then it’s going to happen eventually.” Carol smirked and pointed at another line in the book. “It also says that oni are omnivorous and especially like human flesh and alcohol. Well, that explains her performance with the heart.” 

“What?” Tsubasa asked hesitantly. Her eyes reflected some fear, as she looked at Maria. Her memories were still blurry and she didn’t clearly remember what she tried to eat the other night. She only remembered the taste of blood and slight sweetness. She raised her hand and pressed it to her mouth, feeling a sudden attack of nausea. “Was it…?” 

“Yes, you crushed a human heart and licked the mash from your hand…” Maria didn’t want to bring it up in full detail, but it would be unfair to hide it from Tsubasa. She could only hope it wouldn’t be really traumatic information. For Maria herself it wasn’t something really disgusting or amoral, but Tsubasa’s attitude was different. 

“But don’t worry, the meat Garie gave you in the dungeon wasn’t human. Just a common raw veal.” Carol laughed, noticing Tsubasa’s reaction. “Your stomach seems to be able to digest almost everything. All that you manage to devour is fuel to keep your powers intact.” 

“And what can happen if I refuse to eat much?” Tsubasa asked, pressing her hand to her face and rubbing her forehead, attempting to make the nausea disappear. “Will I lose my powers and turn back into a human?” 

“How naive of you to think about it. Whether you want it or not, there will be a point where you will be forced to eat by your nature. Just like her.” Carol smirked and looked at Maria. 

“Then was her state the other night a result of using too much power to surpass the deadly wounds and just running on its last resources while trying to survive and looking for food?” Maria sighed, as the memory of Tsubasa gnawing Micha’s arm flashed in her mind.

“It’s a rough explanation, but not a wrong one. The power seemed to be dormant, responding only to wounds and such, but this life-threatening situation made it break out.” Carol began to read the book again, turning one page after another. She then suddenly stopped and pressed a hand to her chin. “This all looks interesting. I want to see it.” 

“What exactly?” Tsubasa looked over the page Carol examined and her eyes widened in surprise. “No. I won’t agree to that. Even if it’s true and I can heal such a wound, I won’t let you cut off my limbs or head.” 

“It is very tempting, but I meant this part.” Carol rolled her eyes and pointed at the other opened page. “So called sorcery is intriguing. It says some oni can change their appearance. Is it an illusion or a complete shape shifting?” 

“It’s mentioned only in a few legends.” Tsubasa grimaced, still looking at Carol with distrust. “And we have no idea how it should work.”

“You certainly want to get your human form back and motivated to wield this ability if it’s real. I’m looking forward to seeing how you struggle, doing everything possible to make it happen.” Carol smirked, closing the book. After a second of hesitation, she handed the book to Maria. “You can take it for now.”

“Does it mean we can move around the castle? We can’t stay in one room all the time and it’s not safe if Tsubasa tries to wield fire in such a small space.” Maria took the book and looked at Tsubasa. She wanted to give it to her, but then remembered about her claws and decided to hold it for now. 

“Yes. It will be a shame if you set my chateau on fire.” Carol frowned and propped her chin on her hand. She looked at Maria and then at Tsubasa, narrowing her eyes. “You can go to the garden, but Leiur or Phara will accompany you.” She reached for the chess board and began to set the figures in their starting positions. “If you don’t get any results soon, I will take everything into my own hands and you will become my test subjects. One way or another, I wish to examine the real power of oni.” She raised her gaze and looked at Maria, smirking deviously. “And don’t even think about escaping. You won’t manage to leave this place alive without my permission.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This so-called garden was merely a big courtyard with some nicely cut bushes and a few flowerbeds, which were now empty due to the season. However, there was enough free space for many kinds of activities. At the far end there were training dummies surrounded by dozens of small pits on the ground. The wall behind them had long deep scratches across its surface, certainly left by Micha’s claws. This place served only one purpose, and Carol’s servants spent a lot of time here practicing their skills.

It was a late evening when Maria and Tsubasa went to the garden accompanied by Phara. The air was a bit chilly, but it didn’t matter for either of them. Maria’s only concern was the sun, but it already almost disappeared behind the horizon and the light wasn’t bright enough to hurt her eyes. It felt nice to be outside, leaving the heavy atmosphere of the castle behind, but it still didn’t improve their mood much.

Maria glanced at Tsubasa and noticed a gloomy expression on her face. She had it since the moment they left the library, but now it had become even worse. Carol’s words stuck in both of their heads and the view before them only cemented their worries. Carol didn’t bluff. Running away from here would be hard, especially if they had to fight their way out. They were prisoners here and had no idea what to expect from her next. Even if they could move around almost freely and were treated more or less fairly, they were always under supervision. The only good thing about their position was that for now they were unattainable for Ver and his goons. 

“You didn’t eat much at lunch.” Maria said calmly, stepping closer to Tsubasa. She didn’t like that every conversation they had was listened to and probably reported to Carol, but Tsubasa’s state concerned her more. “And you didn’t even touch meat. Is something the matter?” 

“I wasn’t hungry.” Tsubasa mumbled inaudibly and looked away. Her posture tensed and her jaw clenched tighter. Despite her attempts to hide her state from Maria, it was an obvious lie and a really cheap one. 

“You think about that heart when you look at it, don’t you?” Maria sighed, taking Tsubasa’s hand and slightly squeezing it. “I could say some trite things like it’s not your fault because you were not yourself at the moment, but it won’t change anything.” She caressed Tsubasa’s knuckles with her thumb, trying to comfort her. “It might sound terrible and disgusting, but human meat is still a meat. However, it’s your choice whether you do it again or not. You can eat anything you want.” She laughed quietly, but there was no joy or happiness in her tone. “I don’t have such luxury.”

“I will never forget this taste.” Tsubasa said quietly, raising her head and looking at the dark blue sky. She sighed and her hot breath turned to steam as it mixed with the cold air. “Deep inside I expect to feel it again, something in me wants it.” 

“Your will is stronger than this feeling. It all comes from here.” Maria released Tsubasa’s hand and raised her own, pressing her index finger to her temple. “You do what you wish to. Raw instincts can push you beyond these boundaries, but in your case, it shouldn’t happen unless you reject food completely.” 

“What a shame.” Phara said with a disappointed tone, immediately catching Maria and Tsubasa’s attention. “After listening to Micha and Elfnein’s story I believed you were a skilled and prideful swordsman, but here I can see only the miserable shadow of one.” She elegantly tossed a lock of her hair back and looked at Tsubasa with contempt. “I wanted to challenge you and break your will in a duel, but you have none. Only self-pity and complaints.”

“No one asked for your opinion.” Maria glared at Phara and her eyes flared red for a brief moment. Even if Phara’s words made sense, it was still a harsh way to say it and Maria couldn’t just allow her to talk like that to Tsubasa.

“She is right.” Tsubasa said quietly, breathing out another cloud of steam. “I am pitiful in this state. With these hands I can’t even use a sword anymore or even get dressed. And all these uncontrollable emotions…” She abruptly stopped and pressed her hand to her face. “I don’t know what to do…” 

Maria groaned and rolled her eyes. Even with all her love for Tsubasa she began to lose patience. She could understand her depressed state and was ready to help, but this was going way too far and there seemed to be no end to it. 

“Enough of this. Face the reality.” Maria grabbed one of Tsubasa’s horns and squeezed it tight. She pulled her along towards the training dummies, ignoring squeaky sounds and protests. If Tsubasa couldn’t overcome it in a nice way, there was another. “If you don’t know what to do, I’ll tell you.” 

“Maria! L-let me go.” Tsubasa’s face turned red, but it was hard to say what caused it - anger or embarrassment. She whimpered quietly, as Maria tightened her grip, dragging her further. 

“Burn it.” Maria ordered, stopping right in front of a dummy and releasing Tsubasa from her grip. 

“But I have no control over it!” Tsubasa protested, raising her hand and rubbing the place on her horn where Maria’s hand was before. “And don’t grab my horns like that, please.” She mumbled, looking away. 

“I don’t remember you complaining about it yesterday.” Maria smirked, as the memory of the past night flashed in her head. “Now burn it. Let your fire go. You will never learn how to control it if you only desperately try to hold it back.” 

Tsubasa glanced at Maria and saw how serious she was. The desire to argue with her died under the weight of Maria’s gaze and with a sigh she stepped closer to the dummy. She had no idea exactly how she was supposed to do it, but before she managed to burn things while touching them; it could be a good start. 

Laying her hand on the dummy, Tsubasa closed her eyes, concentrating on the flow of energy. She held it back from the moment she regained consciousness. This power felt all consuming and raw, threatening to destroy everything if it had the freedom to do it. Control over it for Tsubasa seemed to be impossible from the beginning, and she was too afraid to let it loose. 

“You are too tense.” Maria stepped closer to Tsubasa and laid her hands on her shoulders. She leaned closer, almost pressing her breasts to Tsubasa’s back. “It was made to be destroyed. Don’t think, just do it.” She whispered right into her ear, almost touching it with her lips. “Don’t hold back.” 

Tsubasa’s cheeks turned pink and all other thoughts went away when she felt Maria so close. Her whole body began to heat up as Maria’s breath teasingly touched her ear, followed by the soft pressure on her back. Briefly losing concentration, she let the power rush through her freely. Fire flared in her palm, immediately spreading to the training dummy and turning it into a giant torch. 

“It’s strange…” Tsubasa opened her eyes and looked at the burning dummy, then lowered her gaze to her hand. Flames were still coating her palm and fingers, but she didn’t feel the heat or pain, on the contrary it was pleasant to hold. “It feels like it’s alive, but I can’t really explain that.” 

“Then maybe you should try to tame it.” Maria said calmly, rubbing Tsubasa’s shoulders. She could feel how Tsubasa relaxed as nothing terrible happened when she weakened her control. “Or get along with it. I have no idea about such matters, but if you feel as if it’s alive, maybe you need to treat it that way. Bend it to your will or accept it as a companion.” 

Maria didn’t really believe in a nearly occult idea like the fire having its own will, but there had to be an idea behind Tsubasa’s attempts to use her power. She noticed the change in Tsubasa’s posture and then a small nod from her. These words certainly had an effect on Tsubasa and gave her some confidence.

Tsubasa raised her other hand and ran her fingers across the fire she still held in her palm. She thoughtfully repeated the motion, lingering her touch, almost petting the flames. From the side it looked rather strange, but Tsubasa ignored the world around her, fascinated by the sensations. She clenched her fist and the fire disappeared completely, but then immediately flashed on her other hand.

“I’m starting to understand it.” Tsubasa leaned back onto Maria, relaxing completely. “But it’s easier to control when I’m calm, in battle it won’t be.” She waved her wrist and the fire in her hand died completely. “It responds to my feelings and bursts out… You saw what happened when you…” 

“This only makes it more impressive that you didn’t burn the whole castle yet.” Maria chuckled and sneaked her arms around Tsubasa’s waist, pulling her closer. She was proud and happy that Tsubasa came to the right conclusion herself even if it was with a little help. “You just need more practice.” She ran her fingers over the shirt’s fabric that covered Tsubasa’s breast and kissed her neck. “And I’m eager to help.” 

“M-maria, not here…” Tsubasa whimpered, trying to escape from the embrace, but her body refused to obey. “Let’s start from something simpler…” She almost begged, feeling the growing heat in the pit of her belly. Her heart slammed fast in her chest and a quiet moan escaped her lips, as she felt a firmer pressure on her breast.

“Did you ask my Master for permission to leave the room only because the bed became too boring for you?” Phara asked without hiding her contempt and notes of disgust. “You are supposed to practice other things, not the ones you’ve obviously mastered.” 

Maria froze in place and blinked in surprise. She couldn’t get used to the strange fact that Carol’s servants didn’t have any life in them and she couldn’t feel their presence. Mesmerized by Tsubasa’s reaction, she completely forgot they were not alone here. Hesitantly releasing Tsubasa from her arms, she nervously cleared her throat, covering her mouth with her hand. 

“How about a little sparring then?” Maria stepped away from Tsubasa and rubbed her shoulder, preparing for a fight. “Now you should be able to keep up with me again.” She smirked, taking a defensive stance. From the battle she had with Tsubasa in her full frenzy, Maria learned that they now stood at the same level again. She was certain that she was still way faster than Tsubasa, but one wrong move and she would lose this advantage. “But I’m sure you won’t be able to even touch me.”

“If you insist.” Tsubasa frowned at Maria’s sudden mockery. She stood across from her and instinctively reached for her sword, but grabbed only at empty space. It was a habit developed after ages of training and battles. She was never without her sword for long, but now it was gone. Clenching her fist at the place where her katana was supposed to be, she felt a slight sting of pain in her chest, and her expression darkened.

“Did you want to fight an unarmed opponent with a sword?” Maria raised her eyebrows and shook her head. She noticed Tsubasa’s nearly sorrowful expression, but wasn’t going to indulge it. “Or you just can’t do anything without it, can you?” 

Tsubasa gritted her teeth, noticing how Phara covered her mouth with a hand, laughing at her. Embarrassment painted her cheeks red, while her blood began to simmer, anticipating the battle. All her muscles tensed, as she prepared for attack, but she lingered, observing each of Maria’s motions. 

In a flash both Maria and Tsubasa launched forward, aiming at each other. Their motions were so swift that common eyes couldn’t catch much of it, but for them it wasn’t a problem at all. They could easily read the actions of each other and dodge in time without much effort. Swirling around each other, they kept throwing strong hits and punches, knowing it wouldn’t meet the target.

“You are holding back, Tsubasa.” Maria smirked, twisting around Tsubasa and slapping her butt lightly. Tsubasa’s moves were still a little bit slow and clumsy compared to her normal abilities. She was too tense and stiff. “Or are you so slow and open for another reason?” 

“I d-don’t want to hurt you.” Tsubasa answered instantly and her cheeks flashed pink. She jumped back to get a better look at Maria. She had a hard time adjusting to her new strength. Her whole body felt different and reacted with slight pain to each action. Every movement was way too rough and sharp compared to the smooth and flowing technique she always had.

“I doubt it’s a real reason.” Maria narrowed her eyes, examining Tsubasa’s movements more carefully. She could see that Tsubasa didn’t move as she did before, but couldn’t get why. It hardly had anything to do with the absence of her sword.

At the next attack Maria jumped up, somersaulting over Tsubasa’s head, barely escaping her horns. At the last moment she grabbed one of them, and roughly tugged Tsubasa along, forcing her to fall backwards on the ground. 

“You are acting like it’s not your body at all.” Maria knelt down next to Tsubasa’s head and looked at her. The defeated and heavily breathing Tsubasa before her was a pleasant sight, but she cast away this thought, trying to stay serious. “I understand, it feels different. I went through a similar situation, but it’s still your own body. All muscles remember the movements and techniques you polished through years of training. Don’t hesitate.” 

“It’s difficult to balance everything at once.” Tsubasa sighed and grabbed the hand Maria offered to help her up. “It feels like if I release its full potential, the flame will slip away as well and the outcome would be unpredictable.” She stood up and brushed grass and dirt from her shirt and pants. “I don’t want to set your clothes or hair on fire by accident.” 

“You have so much faith in me.” Maria laughed, standing up too and placing her hand on her hip. “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t manage to do it before and won’t do it now. I know how to protect myself.” She stepped closer to Tsubasa and ran her index finger over Tsubasa’s horn. “You’d better think about your disadvantages.”

“It’s unfair, Maria!” Tsubasa groaned and tilted her head back, escaping Maria’s touch. “Stop touching and grabbing them whenever you want. You know how it feels for me.”

“But they are so handy in any situation.” Maria smirked and winked at Tsubasa. “If you don’t like it, then do something about it.” She provoked Tsubasa further, distracting her from thinking too much and getting back into a depressed state. 

“Don’t blame me then.” Tsubasa smirked back, taking Maria’s words as a challenge. She did hold back before, there were no doubts about it, but now she felt this desire to fight at full force and show Maria how wrong she was. She took a deep breath, allowing that new feeling of power to flow through her body. It still felt unusual and weird, but little by little she began to accept it as a part of her. It was wild power, bigger than herself, but at the same time warm and gentle, coating and protecting her. The more she called to it the more she understood its nature.

“I wouldn’t dare.” Maria laughed in response, backing away to her position and preparing for another round. It was rather fun to have this little training fight with Tsubasa and also quite relaxing. Finally seeing Tsubasa’s genuine smile, she felt relieved and happy. “Ready?”

“Time to regain my honor.” Tsubasa answered, while the fire of excitement bloomed in her eyes. This time she didn’t wait for Maria’s first move. She confidently rushed forward, engaging her sparring partner into another fight. She moved faster and mostly relayed on her senses, predicting Maria’s actions by the smallest changes in her movements and in the little flows of air. Maria always was an unpredictable opponent and in every fight against her Tsubasa fought at her limits, but now she felt that they were equal. 

In the heat of the battle Maria lost track of time. She had no idea how long it lasted, but she didn’t care at all. It was getting more thrilling with each minute. She found it more difficult to trick Tsubasa this time and to surpass her defense, but it made this only more interesting.

After several deceiving maneuvers, Maria saw the opportunity for an attack. It was supposed to be the final strike, leading to another victory. Her lips curved in a slight smile, as she twisted around, dodging Tsubasa’s lunge. Everything went according to her plan and she confidently aimed at the weakest point Tsubasa now had. 

A sudden bright blue flare blinded Maria, forcing her to cover her face and jump away. Her heart skipped a beat, as panic ran through her. She blinked several times, regaining her vision, but before her there was only thick smoke and no sight of Tsubasa. Her eyes widened in fear and thoughts about the worst outcome instantly chained her mind. She could feel Tsubasa’s presence, but something changed in her again. 

“Overconfidence leads to defeat.” Tsubasa’s conceited voice came from the veil of smoke.

Still shocked and confused, Maria didn’t manage to react in time. She felt Tsubasa’s hands on her shoulders, pushing her back. She lost her balance and fell backwards, but managed to grab Tsubasa’s shirt and tug her down along with her. She groaned quietly when her back hit the ground and then felt the pressure of Tsubasa’s warm body atop her. 

“We are even now.” Tsubasa pushed herself up and looked down at Maria. She was indescribably happy to win and couldn’t hold back her emotions. She smiled brightly, seeing Maria’s confused face.

“Tsubasa…You…” Maria had no words to express her thoughts at the sight before her eyes. Tsubasa did win in a fair fight, there were no questions about it, but she seemed to not realize how exactly she did it. Maria kept staring at her and still couldn’t believe her own eyes. “Your horns and…” 

“Don’t try to distract me, Maria.” Tsubasa frowned, as her victorious mood was immediately spoiled. “I won’t fall for it and give you the opportunity to counter.”

“How did you do that?” Maria raised her hands and cupped Tsubasa’s cheeks. She carefully looked over her face, then reached one hand for her head and ran her fingers through her hair. She thought it was some kind of illusion, but the horns were completely gone. “You are human again!”

“What?” Tsubasa was completely bewildered by Maria’s actions and words. She looked at her hands pressed to the ground and to her own surprise saw ordinary human hands. “I don’t know…During the fight I began to enjoy this power…” She bit the inner side of her cheek, trying to remember what exactly happened. “And began to use it more freely. But at the same time, I realized that this form puts me at a disadvantage and sensed your other attempt to grab my horns… Maria, I asked you to stop doing that!” 

“I see.” Maria began to laugh and then wrapped her arms around Tsubasa’s neck pulling her down. She pressed her closer to her chest and rubbed her cheek on her hair. “I’m sorry for it.” She sincerely apologized, gently rubbing her back. 

“Why did you have to be so mean?” Tsubasa pouted, but wrapped her arms around Maria’s waist, snuggling to her soft chest. For the first time in days she wasn’t afraid to hurt Maria. She relaxed and closed her eyes, enjoying the slow rise and fall of Maria's chest as she breathed.

“I didn’t mean to offend you, only to give you some motivation.” Maria answered calmly, kissing the top of Tsubasa’s head. “I had to get you out of this gloomy mood, but you are too stubborn and nice methods don’t always work on you.” She smiled, holding Tsubasa closer. “And it worked better than I thought. You didn’t even burn your clothes.” 

“Why does it sound like you are disappointed they didn’t burn…” Tsubasa groaned quietly, but then a slight smile curved her lips. No one even tried to solve any of Tsubasa’s problems this way. In the past she was usually left to deal with things alone or treated like a stupid child, but Maria found a better way to help her. “Thank you, Maria.”

“My pleasure.” Maria chuckled, gently stroking Tsubasa’s back. Then she looked at Phara, who was still watching them from afar and gathering information for her master. “I wonder, if Carol will be pleased to hear that you did it without effort and much suffering.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and turned away from Phara, so she couldn’t lip read her words. “I don’t know what her plans are, but we have to prepare for the worst. We should start to plan an escape.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: originally this story was planned as a short one for halloween, but something went wrong.


	15. Chapter 15

Days passed without any exceptional events. Carol hadn’t been seen all this time which only brought more tension to the situation Maria and Tsubasa were stuck in. After training in the garden, they were offered a posh dinner, but even then their host didn’t show up. It was frankly suspicious, but none of Carol’s servants would give them a straight answer about their master’s absence. 

While Tsubasa was finishing eating, Maria was reaching the limits of her patience for this place and its inhabitants. She kept thinking about the possible ways to run away, but the whole place was a maze and she still had no idea how to orientate herself here. Only Elfnein could tell them where the exit was, but calling her out from the depth of Carol’s head was another big question. 

Maria thumped on a table top with her fingers, watching over Micha and Phara, who were assigned to keep an eye on them for the day. She had been around these dolls all the time, but yet couldn’t figure out how their existence was possible. However, an understanding of their nature wasn’t necessary, she only needed to figure out how to fight and destroy them. 

Micha looked well and sound despite being torn apart by Tsubasa, even though it took time for her to return. Even if these creatures had abnormal abilities and were rather immortal, they could still be broken. Maria and Tsubasa discussed this matter in private and came to the same conclusion – their weakest parts were their joints and one accurate hit could immobilize them for good. Nevertheless, it seemed to be a difficult task, since they were still outnumbered in general, but they still had a chance by confronting them one by one.

For now, Maria and Tsubasa agreed to play the roles of obedient prisoners, while waiting for the opportunity to escape. They kept the perfect act up, never discussing anything important or giving away the real emotional state they were in. 

“Do you want to practice more today, Tsubasa?” Maria casually asked, noticing that Tsubasa had finished eating and put her cutlery aside. “It’s not so late yet.”

“No, I’ve had enough for today.” Tsubasa shook her head and stood up from the table. “I feel like I’m still missing something and can’t continue until I understand what it is.”

“Then let’s just rest.” Maria sighed and stood up as well, glancing at Micha briefly. She tried to keep an eye on any reactions or motions they made to learn more about them, but most of the time they were just empty, lifeless statues. 

Both Maria and Tsubasa headed to the exit from the dining hall. They kept some meaningless conversation going the whole way to their room, just to not look suspiciously quiet and to try and annoy Carol with a lack of progress. Whatever her game was, both sides could play it after all. 

“Maria, we can’t do this any longer, we should act.” Tsubasa groaned, when the door closed behind them and they were finally left alone. They were not given many moments of privacy, but this room was the only place where they were not directly watched.

“Please, don’t be so loud…” Maria frowned, pressing her finger to her lips. Even after checking the whole room and not finding any obvious ways to eavesdrop or spy on what was happening inside, she still wasn’t sure it was wise to talk so openly. “Don’t forget they could be listening in on us.” 

“I don’t like this spy game and I’m quite tired of them already.” Tsubasa sighed and sat on the bed. It had become tedious for her and she kept doing what Maria asked only because she trusted her, but her patience had grown thin and the temptation to start a fight was really strong. “We’ve wasted so much time here and in fact got nothing but some useless information. We should go back. I feel uneasy about leaving Ogawa-san and the girls alone while it’s so dangerous in the city.”

“I know, Tsubasa, but we can’t just break Carol’s neck and walk away.” Maria pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed it tight. “I understand your feelings and I don’t like the idea of them staying alone while Ver is roaming around. That’s why we should come back both alive and in one piece.” 

“Why not?” Tsubasa asked, falling back on the bed. “I’ve learned to control this new power well enough to give them a good fight. With a good sword I would feel more confident, but it’s not a big problem.” 

“We don’t know what all of them can do together. It’s too risky.” Maria moved closer and looked down at Tsubasa. “You are being so passionate about fights recently.” She pressed her knee to the bed between Tsubasa’s legs and then bent over, propping herself up with both hands to hover over Tsubasa. “Need some help with this tension…?"

Tempted by Tsubasa’s parted lips and flustered expression, Maria leaned closer, while her lips curved in a satisfied smirk. She slid her hand closer to Tsubasa and ran her fingers over her shoulder, pinning her firmly to the bed. A mere inch separated them from each other, when they heard a sudden knock on the door.

“Perfect timing, as always.” Maria rolled her eyes, immediately losing the mood. However, the knock on the door meant it could only be Elfnein, since no one else bothered with being polite. It was rather strange that the girl appeared so suddenly and ignoring it would be a stupid decision. 

Maria reluctantly pushed herself up and quickly fixed her hair and clothes. While she was walking to the door, several guesses about this visit appeared in her head quite quickly, and she didn’t like any of them. If it was another invitation to a useless meeting with Carol, she intended to reject it, no matter how politely Elfnein asked. 

When Maria reached for the handle, she stopped for a moment, hearing an incredibly fast heartbeat and noises of nervous movement from behind the door. It wasn’t just common anxiety, but nearly a panic attack. 

“Please, open the door and let me in!” Another knock followed the begging. Elfnein’s voice trembled, as she kept repeating the same line over and over. She stopped only when the door before her finally opened and she rushed in, almost knocking Maria over. “Hear me out, I don’t have much time! They’ll notice my absence soon.” 

“What’s going on?” Tsubasa jumped up from the bed and glanced at Elfnein. The girl looked like she had been chased by a wolf through a forest.

“Breathe and explain what happened.” Maria checked out the hall, making sure no one followed after Elfnein and closed the door. No one was openly chasing the girl, though it still could be a trap.

“You must run away from here.” Elfnein grabbed her head and pressed her fingers so tight to it that her knuckles turned white. “I don’t know how long I can manage to hold Carol back. We must leave now.” 

“Why so suddenly?” Tsubasa narrowed her eyes, carefully watching Elfnein’s actions. An annoying dull pain appeared in her chest as a reminder of what happened when she tried to help this girl before. “I don’t trust you.”

“And you shouldn’t trust me. I can’t control my actions all the time.” Elfnein released her head and took a deep breath. Her face held the pained expression, but she did her best to brush it away. “But please listen while I still can talk, and then you can decide what to do.”

“Sit down and tell us everything from the start.” Maria calmly said and glancing at Tsubasa. They nodded to each other, agreeing that they should give Elfnein a chance to explain, since it could be a good opportunity to escape.

“Believe it or not, but me and Carol, we don’t share all thoughts. I’m not sure if she is aware of everything I do, but I don’t remember all of her actions.” Elfnein sat down on the bed and clenched the edge of her robe between her fingers. “But today I saw a letter on Carol’s table. It was from Dr. Ver.” 

“What?” Maria’s eyes widened in surprise and her whole body tensed at the sound of that name. “She stays in contact with him? But then why were the Association goons chasing you... or her?” 

“It was all a set up to kill Tsubasa-san…” Elfnein mumbled quietly, staring at her knees, feeling too guilty to look at Tsubasa. “I didn’t know it back then. If I knew, I would never…” Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and she bit her lower lip. “I didn’t want this.”

“How could that be? Our decision to find Carol was spontaneous.” Tsubasa frowned with concern and crossed her arms over her chest. “Even if we were being watched...”

“Or he just expected me to look for Carol sooner or later…” A slight shudder ran through Maria’s body as she began to think about how so many of her actions had been predicted and she was just following the path Ver had drawn for her long ago. Suddenly she remembered that the smoke that the goons used in the fight had had a strange effect on her. They wouldn’t have needed it if their target was Carol. “How could I’ve been so blind…?”

“Maria?” Tsubasa hurried to Maria’s side right away, reacting to the unusual pallor of her face. She laid her hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly, trying to make Maria focus her attention on her. “Look at me.” She called gently, forcing Maria to face her. “It’s no one’s fault. You can’t predict everything no matter how smart you are.” 

“We should have gone for Ver first and stopped him for good.” Maria gritted her teeth and looked at Tsubasa with sorrow and anger mixed in her eyes. “This whole thing wouldn’t have happened if I had thought more rationally. It doesn’t really matter what he did to me or why. Knowing his involvement with Carol gave me nothing and if we didn’t get stuck here, he could’ve been dead by now. Moreover, trying to undo what they did to me is stupid. I need this power…”

“Ver asked Carol to get rid of the nuisance.” Elfnein interrupted them, exclaiming these words louder than she intended. “But Carol never told him what happened to Tsubasa-san.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Maria took a deep breath and raised her hand to rub her forehead. “Some of his pawns ran away and already told him the story.” 

“But they don’t know what happened next.” Tsubasa shook her head. “If Carol didn’t send him any updates, then he has no clue that I’m alive and no idea what was going on here.” 

“Carol has her own interests and will do everything her way, but she won’t allow either of you to leave now.” Elfnein suddenly jumped from the bed and grabbed the blanket, throwing it away. “But there is a way to leave. I will help you.” She took the sheet and, tugging it behind her, headed closer to Maria and Tsubasa. “But you need to tie me up in case Carol takes control over this body again.” 

“How do we know this is not another game of yours?” Maria laughed, pressing her palm to her face. It was ridiculous. Even if it was the exact opportunity they had waited for, it seemed to be too good to be true. “You just told us that Carol is planning something and you want us to believe this is not a part of it. I’m not that stupid.”

“But she wants to help us and is entrusting us with her life.” Tsubasa frowned, looking at the sheet handed to her. Part of her mind refused to believe Elfnein, but she acknowledged her determination. “It’s honorable and brave. I can’t just ignore it.” 

“If I notice something strange…” Maria glared at Elfnein and grabbed her knife, swiftly pressing its sharp blade to the girl's throat. “I’ll end your life.” She couldn’t say herself if it was an empty threat or not, but she knew for sure that she wouldn’t let anyone fool her again. Anger rapidly grew in her and the only thing she could let it out on was this two-faced little girl. “These are my terms.” 

“Maria…” Tsubasa whispered quietly, reluctantly raising her hand, but then stopped herself. She could understand Maria’s state, but had no words to calm her down. She could only watch how she threatened Elfnein. 

“You can do it. I owe you that much for being a pawn in this awful plan.” Elfnein slowly nodded, locking her gaze full of determination with Maria’s. Deciding to be brave until the end and to fix her own mistakes, she wasn’t afraid even of death. 

“Good.” Maria took the blade away and grabbed the sheet. She tore off several strips from it and then tightly tied the girl's hands behind her back. “If you have told the truth and we manage to leave without any surprises I’ll let you go.” She said calmly, wrapping another strip of fabric around Elfnein’s legs. 

“We should hurry.” Tsubasa said quietly, stepping closer to the door. With a sense of foreboding, she slightly opened it and looked out into the hall through the gap. It was still empty, but her concern didn’t disappear. “They’ll find us quickly once they notice our absence.” 

“There are secret passages which lead to the forest nearby.” Elfnein winced, trying to move her hands. Maria tied her so tightly, that even the small action resulted in pain. “No one would expect you to use them.”

“Or everyone is waiting for us there.” Maria humphed and grabbed Elfnein by the waist, lifting her up. Luckily the girl was small enough to carry with just one hand, leaving the other one free. “Let’s get out of here.” 

“One more thing…” Tsubasa glanced at the book they got from Carol, which was lying on the table nearby. “This information shouldn’t be in her hands.” She took the book and opened it to the part about oni. Not having a bag, she couldn’t take the whole book with her, yet she couldn’t allow Carol to have the most important pages. She ripped every page from the book that held information about her kind and, after folding them several times, shoved them into her pocket. “Now we can leave.”

The three of them left the room and began to move through the labyrinth of halls, trying to move as fast as possible. They had to rely only on Elfnein’s guidance since their own knowledge and senses were of no use here. Both Maria and Tsubasa hated it, but they kept walking further into the unknown part of the Chateau. 

They passed by dozens of doors and halls and soon the feeling that they were traveling in circles began to bother Maria. Everything looked suspiciously similar and no matter which turn they took previously, they still saw the same surroundings. It lasted for more than ten minutes, but it felt like they lost a whole hour. Doubt and regret crawled into Maria’s mind, making her want to stop and just go back. She glanced at Tsubasa and noticed that she had the same anxious expression on her face. 

“Stop here, please.” Elfnein asked politely, trying to raise her head higher to point in the right direction. “Here, on the left. Simultaneously turn two of these lanterns on the wall to the side and then press the brick in the middle.”

Tsubasa stepped closer to the wall Elfnein pointed at. It looked normal and there were no visible differences from the other similar sets of lanterns around. She had some doubts, but still raised both of her hands and turned the lanterns as she was told. Then she ran her fingers across the row of stones and noticed that one of them was actually made of iron. This had to be the right one. She hesitantly pressed it, slowly immersing it deeper into the wall. 

A cracking sound came from behind the wall and in a moment part of it began to move to the side. Maria and Tsubasa exchanged glances when the small passageway finally opened before them. It was around half of their height and squeezing through seemed to be a risky move, especially since they had a hostage with them.

“I’ll go first.” Tsubasa frowned, pressing her palm to the wall and looking into the darkness of the passage. The smell of wet dirt and mold hit her nose when she crouched and took a step into the tunnel. She ran her fingers along the wall, as she kept moving further. She flared a small fire on her palm and illuminated the pass. “It seems to be quite long.” 

“Be careful.” Maria said, still standing at the entrance. She tried to figure out how she should carry the girl now. Dragging her along seemed to be the only option, but it could hurt her and would be rather rude, especially towards Elfnein who tried to help them. With a sigh, Maria took out her dagger and cut the ties on Elfnein’s legs. “Walk ahead of me. There’s no way you’ll manage to escape from there anyway.” 

Elfnein didn’t say anything, only nodded and vanished into the tunnel, following Tsubasa’s light. Her obedience would be satisfying if the possibility of a trap still didn’t haunt them. However, everything went smoothly and Elfnein didn’t misguide them. Maria began to think that maybe it really was a genuine attempt to help after all, but she still didn’t let her guard down. 

Meanwhile, Tsubasa found herself at a dead end. There were no sideways or anything other than cold walls. She began to examine all stones she could reach, trying to find something similar to the one that opened this passage. The longer she searched for it the more anxious she felt. Frustration began to grow in her, but then she finally found the right brick, and harshly sunk it into the wall.

One by one they exited the tunnel and looked around. Maria and Tsubasa expected this secret passage to end outside the castle, but now they were standing in the middle of a huge room filled with numerous showcases and boxes. If they were not sure that they were still inside Carol’s Chateau, they would have thought that they accidentally broke into a museum’s storage room. 

“What is this place?” Maria asked, turning her head to Elfnein. She tensed, noticing that there was something strange about her. The girl’s expression darkened and her eyes rolled back, while she mumbled something under her breath. Maria laid her hand on her dagger, waiting to see what would happen next. 

“Here I keep the most interesting findings. The majority of them were brought by my father from his travels.” Elfnein’s tone changed and Carol’s presence was undeniable. She humphed and tried to free her hands, but whined quietly. She turned on her heels and faced Maria, trying to look as imposing as possible. “You are not allowed in this part of my Chateau. I might forgive you if you untie me right now and go back to your room.” 

“Oh no.” Maria smirked and grabbed Carol’s collar, pulling her a bit closer. “Don’t even try to take command here. Now it’s your turn to do what we say.” She released her and slightly pushed away, enough to make Carol lose her balance and land on her butt. 

“How dare you?!” Carol clenched her teeth and glared at Maria. She tried to stand up, but it appeared to be a difficult task and she stayed sitting on the floor. “This little traitor is going to pay for this. I’ll find a way to banish her from my body.” 

Maria breathed out in relief and relaxed a bit. It was obvious that Carol wasn’t happy about her current state and was quite pissed at Elfnein. She wasn’t a good actor, especially when frustrated. This really wasn’t a set up or trap. 

“Maria, do we have some time? I’m going to look for a weapon here.” Tsubasa called from the far corner, examining the showcases before her. “I want to avoid using my oni form as long as possible, since I’m not sure I can go back to being human again fast.” 

“Just be quick about it. We can’t linger here for long. Without Elfnein we are going to have a hard time finding the way now.” Maria answered, kneeling down next to Carol and smiling at her. “While she is looking at your treasures, let’s have a little chat. I expect you to be more open and honest, since there’s no one else but us.” 

“I told you all you needed to know.” Carol growled through her clenched teeth, furiously glaring at Maria. Being in an obvious stalemate, she could only try to buy some time and hope that her servants weren’t completely useless and could find her. “You can even torture me, but keep in mind that you’ll hurt Elfnein as well.”

“She was ready for such an outcome.” Maria narrowed her eyes, examining Carol’s state. She didn’t even need her vampire instincts to notice a slight tremble and fear in her. Despite all her posturing, Carol was smart enough to weigh all the risks and was clearly scared. “I don’t know who exactly she is to you, but she is certainly your best part and you should learn from her.” Maria reached her hand out to Carol and grabbed her slim neck, lightly squeezing it. “Now choose: you tell me the truth about Ver willingly or I force you to. I will feel it if you lie.” 

“What do you want to know?” Carol gulped slowly, but still tried to keep her angry expression. “This filthy traitor already told you enough. I agreed to help him kill your friend.” She tried to move back and slip away from Maria’s grip, but the pressure on her neck only became stronger. “How would you act if a dozen thugs came into your house and gave you the choice to either help them or lose everything?” Her lips twitched, forming a strange smile. “I didn’t want to lose everything I’ve built through the years because of someone I didn’t even know.”

“Don’t tell me you are afraid of him.” Maria raised her eyebrow in disbelief, but Carol’s steady pulse proved that it wasn’t a lie. “Your servants are inhumanly strong. Even a dozen men would be nothing for them.”

“I’m pleased to hear that you are impressed by my creations, but they are not an army.” Carol smirked, regaining some confidence. “There are only four of them and Ver has Adam’s resources at his disposal. He knows how to choose allies.” 

“But why Tsubasa…? Why bother so much over a single person and plan the whole spectacle?” Maria couldn’t tie together all of the lines of this insane situation. It was getting more complicated with each of Carol’s words.

“Because her presence ruined everything he had been preparing for for years!” Carol began to laugh. It seemed that she was frankly happy that Ver’s master plan was broken by the one thing he wasn’t able to predict. “You can also call it jealousy. For years he believed that he was the only person you were obsessed with, but his dream crashed.” 

“What were you supposed to do after killing her?” Maria asked coldly. She knew that she wouldn’t like the answer. With great effort, she tried to calm down and not act recklessly. 

“I would’ve kept you in the dungeon and run a few experiments. My objective was to completely break your shaken will and find a way to control you.” Carol’s voice was calm and smooth. She knew the weight of this information and tried to not provoke an unneeded rough response. “You are supposed to be his perfect tool and help him to save humanity, as he claims.” She laughed. “Remember I told you about the tomb and hand? He believes these creatures still exist.” 

“Of course, vampires still exist. There are thousands of them. Well, less now, since I killed plenty.” Maria weakened her grip on Carol’s neck and looked away for a moment. This was a lot. She couldn’t even imagine how far this madness would go and began to doubt if she wanted to listen to more of it or not.

“Don’t play dumb. You understood what I meant.” Carol humphed and rolled her eyes. “The primal ones, that stand above all others in their strict hierarchy. I bet that for ancient humans they were rather immortal gods, but for some reason they went into hiding for millennia.” She sighed at Maria’s ignorance. “Ver believes they are back and trying to enslave humanity again. How do you think he wants to fight them?” 

“By using the same power…” Maria repeated the words she heard from Ver, releasing Carol’s throat and lowering her head. She stared at the floor, processing the information she just received. She would have said it was some bizarre bullshit, but Carol didn’t lie to her. She raised her hand and pressed her palm to her face. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over her and pain pierced her chest, as she finally saw the whole picture at once. “It’s insane…” She whispered to herself, realizing how pointless everything had been from the very beginning. Now the talk they had overheard at the party made more sense, though it was no less bizarre. “Why do all that…? He could have just spared Serena’s life and I would have agreed to anything…”

Seeing Maria’s state, Carol began to move backwards, trying to get away and find something to cut the ties. Slowly crawling away, she hit something with her back and froze on the spot. Hesitantly, she raised her head and looked up. Above her was Tsubasa, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Don’t move.” Tsubasa said coldly, piercing Carol with her glare, then switched her attention to Maria. The desire to rush to her side and comfort her grew within Tsubasa’s heart, but she pushed it down and remained next to Carol. It pained her greatly, but this hostage was their only ticket to freedom and they couldn’t lose her. “Maria, what happened?” 

“It’s nothing…” Maria closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I will explain when we have time for it.” Finally calming down, she stood up and looked at Tsubasa. For a second she didn’t move and only stared at her. Tsubasa was wearing completely different clothes, which Maria had never seen before. It was a loose grey fabric jacket and something similar to a skirt made of dark blue silk. These clothes were way too unusual for western lands and looked rather uncomfortable, but yet suited Tsubasa well. “Why are you wearing this?”

“They are traditional clothes of my homeland. A bit old-fashioned, but I still like it. I found it in one of the chests and couldn’t resist. I’m tired of wearing all these local clothes. This haori is a bit big for me, but it's not a problem.” Tsubasa smiled and ran her fingers over the jacket’s fabric. “All that matters is that the hakama fits perfectly and I can move freely. I already began to forget how comfortable it is.” She looked happy and pleased, explaining to Maria the details of her lucky finding. “Also, I found a katana.” She patted the sword tied to her belt with a silk rope. “It has the Kazanari mark on it. It’s not a coincidence after all. Both the information for the book and this sword were given by a member of my family. I will need to investigate it…”

“Don’t start another round of questioning.” Carol rolled her eyes and groaned. “I can’t answer questions for my father and have no idea who he met in the East.” 

“Yes, it doesn’t matter now.” Maria nodded. She hated to agree with Carol, but they definitely didn’t have time for this. “If you feel more comfortable in these clothes so be it, but it’s so eye-catching…” She sighed and shook her head. “Nevermind, let’s just leave.” 

Finding an exit from a storage room wasn’t too difficult, but they had no idea how to proceed further from there. Carol refused to explain anything or cooperate and for this she was tossed over the shoulder by Maria and now carried like a sack of potatoes. The halls around looked very different. This place seemed to be close to the dungeon, but Maria didn’t remember it from the day she went looking for Tsubasa.

“It seems this passage leads down…” Maria pointed to the darkest hall and headed towards it. “It would be wise to have an escape route from the dungeon to safety. In case of attack it would be easier to leave from here while enemies wander the top floors. We should look around.” The air around became colder and she soon saw stairs before them that led downward, confirming her expectations. 

They descended the stairs and continued to walk further through the dark corridor. On the way they saw several heavy wooden doors with small windows in the middle of them. Both Maria and Tsubasa understood what kind of rooms these could be, but neither of them wished to discuss it or ask Carol any questions.

“Wait a moment.” Tsubasa abruptly stopped near one of the doors, which looked different from the others. It was made of iron and had a strange set of locks all across it. “I can sense something inside…” She stepped closer to the door and pressed her hand to it. Sudden shiver ran through her body. “There is… a part of me.” 

“What do you mean?” Maria asked with concern. Tsubasa’s words sounded strange, but she was definitely sane. “What’s in this room?” Maria addressed Carol, taking her off her shoulder and putting her on the floor.

“Nothing for you there!” Carol blurted out, clearly panicking and looking for a way to distract them from this door. “You are just wasting time; my dolls will be here soon and your little riot will be over.” 

Tsubasa glared at Carol and made a quiet sound similar to a growl. Her body trembled and her blood simmered while she couldn’t push away that strange and unpleasant sensation she was getting from this room. She faced the door again and pressed her hand to the lock. The steel under her hand turned bright red, but refused to melt. When she understood that it was beyond her abilities to fuse it, Tsubasa hit the door with her shoulder.

“Tsubasa!” Maria called to her, confused and shocked. She didn’t expect her to break into the room in such a simple and barbaric way, creating too much noise. The door still refused to budge even under this rough onslaught, but after several heavier hits, it gave out along with a piece of stone wall. The rumble of falling rocks and steel rang in Maria’s ears, yet she managed to recover fast. “Why did you do that?”

Tsubasa didn’t answer and immediately stepped inside the room, gripping the hilt of her sword. Maria hurried to follow after her, grabbing Carol by the shoulder and tugging her along, but after taking only one step in she froze on the spot. Her eyes widened in shock and she opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. 

The room was filled with different flasks and laboratory equipment. Many bottles with differently colored liquids lined the shelves and filled the tables. But it wasn’t what dazed Maria. On the biggest tables of them all were placed large vessels with limbs belonging to different animals and even to humans. The strong smell of formalin only enhanced her slight nausea that had appeared out of nowhere. 

“They took my blood…” Tsubasa walked to one of the stands with flasks and examined the red liquid inside. “Somehow I know it belongs to me. It calls to me...” She took one of the flasks and shook it lightly. To her surprise it looked like fresh blood, though several days had passed from the last moment it could’ve been taken. 

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” Carol laughed nervously. “It keeps it’s qualities for so long even without special conditions.” She took a few steps in Tsubasa’s direction, but still didn’t come too close. “Imagine what I can do if I research it properly. If her healing abilities can be used on others…” 

“I won’t allow you to do that.” Tsubasa said coldly, crushing the flask in her hand. The blood immediately flared blue on her palm, while pieces of glass fell to the floor with sharp clinks.

“No!” Carol exclaimed, rushing forward and trying to get in between Tsubasa and her precious samples. “You don’t understand! I... I’ll show you the way out of here and won’t even pursue you, just don’t destroy it!” 

“You can’t have it.” Tsubasa clenched her fists. She knew it was a good opportunity to bargain and they really needed it, but the price was too high. 

“Stop her!” Carol turned to Maria, barely holding back tears. “It can save people if used right!”

Maria only shook her head, refusing to interfere. Tsubasa had every right to decide what should be done and she didn’t want to take it from her. 

“I don’t believe in your good intentions. With your skills and knowledge, you have the ability to create something terrifying again and ruin lives.” She pushed Carol aside and took another flask, immediately crushing it and setting the content on fire. “You won’t have anything from Kazanari ever again…” 

When she finished the destruction of the blood samples, Tsubasa switched her attention to the vessels with limbs and other body parts. A shiver ran down her spine as she examined them one by one. It already had nothing to do with her, but her inner voice kept telling her that everything needed to be destroyed to prevent any possible cruelty. She waved her wrist and light blue fire appeared in her palm, yet she hesitated to do anything, doubting whether it was right or not. 

“You are a barbarian…” Carol mumbled, lowering her head. She was pitiful and helpless, waiting to see how her life’s work was going to be destroyed right before her eyes. “It’s no surprise you are hated by your own people.” 

“Wait, Tsubasa…” Maria stepped closer to her and laid her hand on her forearm. “I understand your feelings, but we can still make her cooperate…” She squeezed Tsubasa’s forearm lightly and looked down at Carol. “Does your offer still stand? We won’t destroy everything here and you’ll tell us the way out.” 

“You will destroy it anyway. I won’t say a word to you.” Carol gritted her teeth and glared at Maria. 

“Can you set this table on fire?” Maria turned her head to Tsubasa and asked with a malicious smile on her face. When Tsubasa did as she asked, she turned back to Carol and bent over a bit to have a better look at her face. “She can stop it at any moment, if you change your mind. I’m sure the samples are not the most valuable things here, there should be records as well. I wonder how fast the fire will spread and destroy all…” 

A low groan rumbled in Carol’s throat as she watched the fire move across the table top, creeping closer to the vessels. The liquid in them began to heat up and simmer, slowly destroying the samples. Soon the table began to creak as the charred part cracked, collapsing under the weight of the vessels. The glass rang as it broke on the stone floor, splashing the liquid all around. The acrid smoke grew thicker, making it harder to breath.

“Stop it or we are all going to die!” Carol yelled angrily, unable to watch this any longer. “There are enough chemicals to blow up this place and leave us buried under tons of stone.” But there was no reaction to her words and she began to panic once she realized that there wasn’t much time left and bit her lower lip so hard that it began to bleed. She already couldn’t think clearly and had no idea how serious these two were right now. Moreover, it was possible Maria and Tsubasa could somehow survive, but she wouldn’t. “Just stop. I’ll tell you what you want!”

“Don’t try to lie.” Tsubasa said, glancing at Carol over her shoulder. She turned her attention back to the fire and began to extinguish it little by little. It was still an uneasy task, but she now had a better understanding of her powers and soon only smoldering pieces of wood and flesh remained on the floor. “It’s easy to start all over again.” 

“There are no secret passages here anymore, just a simple exit.” Carol said angrily, glaring at Tsubasa. “Only tunnels which lead to the nearby forest. The entrance is just at the end of this corridor, behind a lattice. However, it’s easy to get lost, since some of them are fake ones and lead to dead ends or are filled with traps.” 

“And how do we avoid the traps?” Maria coughed, covering her nose and mouth. She began to think that it was actually a very bad idea to burn some chemicals, but it had worked well enough. Besides, Carol lost a good portion of her work and it could slow down or even ruin her possibly dangerous projects. It was rather a justified risk after all. 

“You keep going left all the way, but take the middle path when you see a crossway.” Carol sighed, lowering her shoulders in defeat. She kept glancing at the mess where her table was before and groaning quietly, feeling the pain of loss at its full might. 

“That wasn’t so difficult, right?” Maria smiled at Carol and then touched Tsubasa’s shoulder, getting her attention and gesturing to her that it was time to leave. “I hope you understand that if it turns out to be a trick, we will find our way back and it will end less pleasantly.” They didn’t need Carol anymore and her presence would only slow them down, so she just turned around and headed to the exit.

“Elfnein.” Tsubasa faced Carol and looked right into her eyes, as if searching for something there. “I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I hold no grudge towards you. Thank you for finding courage and helping us. I won’t forget this.” She slightly bowed her head in recognition and turned away, hurrying to catch up with Maria.

“Get lost.” Carol glared at them one last time before they disappeared from her sight. She groaned loudly and kicked a random piece of glass, causing it to fly into the wall and break into many smaller pieces. “You didn’t win yet, Elfnein, I won’t let them leave that easily. However, maybe it’s for the best... If they manage to run away and kill that annoying man, we will live peacefully again…”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The corridor grew darker as Maria and Tsubasa moved away from Carol’s lab. Their steps rumbled in the silence, echoing off the walls and giving them some understanding of the space ahead. The tunnel was long, but soon they stepped into a big open area with some more entrances to different passages. It had to be the crossway Carol mentioned and the exit wasn’t too far away if they chose the right direction.

“Show yourself.” Tsubasa stopped and lit a fire in her palm, raising it above her head. She stopped Maria with a gesture and peered into the darkness ahead. A cold blue glow spread throughout the area, revealing a figure in one of the tunnels.

“I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would notice me.” The familiar voice came from the shadows and then Phara walked out to the light. “I wanted to quickly cut your head off and spare you from suffering, but a fight is a satisfactory outcome too.” 

“You left your Master behind only to prepare a trap?” Maria raised her eyebrows in surprise. Phara snuck ahead while they were in the lab, but it was a strange decision, since she could have just attacked them there and saved Carol. Maria thought these obedient servants would never leave their owner behind, but this one did it in cold blood. 

“My Master always was safe with you. You wouldn’t have the nerve to kill Elfnein, and they are one.” Phara smiled drawing a sword from the sheath on her belt. “Seeing you die when the freedom is so close… This will be enjoyable.” 

“Please, step aside, Maria.” Tsubasa stepped forward and drew out her sword as well. She brought her free arm to the blade and moved it slowly along the sharp edge, cutting her own flesh. Her blood covered the steel and flared a bright blue, setting blade on fire. “I will fight her. She doubted my skills before; now I have the chance to prove her wrong.” 

The steel rang loudly as soon as they crossed blades. Despite her elegant and rather fragile appearance, Phara kept the pace Tsubasa set from the very first blow. The area was a bit too small and narrow for a proper fight. Every now and then their swords hit the walls, rattling loudly and spilling more and more sparks around. Summoning more fire, Tsubasa pushed Phara back, but still couldn’t catch the right moment to finish her once and for all.

Maria stood aside, holding back the desire to assist Tsubasa in battle. Together they would defeat Phara much faster, but she respected Tsubasa’s wish to do it alone. In the flickering light it was hard to observe the fight and Maria had to concentrate all her attention on it just in case she needed to step in. However, in the corner of her eye she noticed some strange movement. A small figure lurked in the shadows, sneaking closer to her. 

Catching the right moment, Maria made a harsh move, grabbing the head of this spy and smashing it right into the wall. She heard a weak crack and the body hung limp like a ragdoll under her hold. Looking over the clothes, Maria recognized Garie’s dress, but then her attention caught the glint of a knife still held in her hand. She acted at the speed of the lightning, as soon as her eyes caught the weak motion of Garie’s wrist. Her silver dagger flashed in the dim light, cutting off the doll’s hand. 

“You are a bit better than I thought.” A smile full of sharp teeth appeared on Garie’s face. She lifted her other arm and grabbed Maria’s wrist, tightly squeezing it. “Maybe you are not so useless after all.” 

“You are not in a position to mock me.” Maria’s eyes flared red and she pushed Garie’s head harder into the wall, ignoring the pain in her hand. Another crack sounded and the doll’s grip weakened. “I wonder, will you survive if I break your head into pieces? Maybe I should make this an experiment, just like your deceitful master does… Sending you after us was a big mistake.”

“Maria!” Tsubasa called out, noticing that Maria was engaged in a fight as well. This was only a brief distraction, but enough for her to lose concentration. She gritted her teeth, blocking a harsh slash. The blade stopped a few inches before it reached her neck. 

“All under control! Concentrate on your own fight and finish her.” Maria answered Tsubasa’s call, keeping her gaze locked on Garie. “Carol will send another two this way too. We need to leave quickly.” 

With a growl, Tsubasa let go of her control and allowed her oni power to flow through her freely. Her sword flared brighter, illuminating the area with a moon-like light. Hit by hit she pushed Phara back, accelerating the pace with each attack. Finally she forced her to step into a corner, where she had no space to dodge. The color of her eyes darkened, as she lunged directly at Phara’s abdomen. 

“Your skills with a sword are splendid.” Phara smiled weakly, while her sword hit the floor with a clang. Her clothes slowly smoldered, catching fire from Tsubasa’s sword, where it sank into her body. “I apologize for mocking you.” 

“You’re an admirable opponent, but your style lacks a soul.” Tsubasa thrusted her sword further, feeling how it cut through something solid inside the doll’s body. Phara’s lower body fell down on the floor with a clunk, immediately followed by her upper part. “If you had something more important to fight for and were more serious, I would have a hard time defeating you.” 

Tsubasa slid her sword back into its sheath, casting a short glance toward Phara, who was still “alive”, but unable to move far without help. Tsubasa frowned, silently questioning how this was even possible, but then turned around and hurried toward Maria. She stopped several steps away, confused by Maria’s expression. Before Tsubasa had seen her angry, but this was something beyond that. Her eyes glowed bright red and her aura became darker and thicker, coating her like an impenetrable shadow.

“I’m not sure if you are able to die, but death would be an easy outcome for you.” Maria’s voice sounded cold and distant, as she clenched her fingers tighter on Garie’s skull. “You all kept calling us useless and weak, maybe it’s you who should feel a true futility.” 

Maria’s lips curved in a sinister smile just before she smashed Garie’s hip with an abrupt blow from her knee. The pieces fell one by one with quiet thuds, but there were no cries of pain or begging for mercy. 

“You are not much better than us after all.” Garie smirked, not even trying to break free. She only looked forward between Maria’s fingers, but her eyes still stayed empty and emotionless. “It’s so hypocritical of you to judge us when you can’t restrain even your own darkness.” 

“You are talking too much for a useless doll.” In a flash, Maria cut Garie’s neck with her silver dagger. The body slid down along the wall, leaving the head in Maria’s hand. “Tell your friends that if they want to follow us, a worse fate awaits them.” She let the head fall from her grip and with a smirk watched as Garie catched it in her hands. “If you are still able to talk by then, of course.” 

“Maria, are you…?” Tsubasa stepped back, struggling to find the right words. For the first time she literally felt a chill run down her spine while she observed the scene. She had seen Maria killing people before, but not like this. It wasn’t a real living being, but a real person could easily be in the place of the doll.

“Not now. We have to leave.” Maria interrupted her, shaking her head. Her voice shook slightly despite her attempts to stay calm. She turned away from Garie’s ruined body and headed to one of the tunnels. “I don’t want to stay in this place any longer…” 

Despite all the possible risks, Maria and Tsubasa followed the way Carol pointed out. To their surprise she hadn’t lied to them and soon they could feel fresh air. There was no sign of a chase, but they kept moving fast in case someone still dared to follow them. After a few more turns in the seemingly endless tunnel, they faced an exit covered by some wood and moss. It didn’t take much effort to break through this obstacle and step out into the forest, finally leaving Carol’s domain. 

“This will buy us some more time…” Tsubasa said, facing the exit again. In the blink of an eye she jumped up and smashed the tunnel’s archway. Stones fell with a loud rumble, blocking the exit. “That should do.” Tsubasa nodded, looking over the resulting pile, but then she felt a timid touch on the sides of her waist. She tried to turn around, but was stopped by hands which slid around her and pulled her closer. “Maria…?” 

“Please, just stay like that for a bit…” Maria whispered, pressing her forehead to Tsubasa’s shoulder. She leaned closer, seeking comfort in the warmth of Tsubasa’s body. Facing Tsubasa at this moment of weakness was beyond her strength and she was grateful that Tsubasa didn’t try and argue about it. 

“Is it because of what happened earlier?” Tsubasa asked bluntly, laying her hands atop of Maria’s and feeling slight trembling in them. 

“That too…” Maria sighed, hugging Tsubasa tighter. “I’m so tired.” She whispered, closing her eyes. “The further I travel down this path, the more I feel like I’m losing myself. There is only insane nonsense and lies around… Facing it over and over again I can’t hold back the anger and hatred that grows within me. And now I scared even you…” 

“More like surprised me.” Tsubasa looked up to the clear night sky full of stars and breathed out a puff of steam. “I’ve never seen you like that, but I’m not afraid. I almost killed you, but you didn’t flee. How can I get scared by a display of your true emotions after that?”

“I wouldn’t blame you.” Maria chuckled, feeling some relief after hearing these words. “Thanks, I needed to hear it…” 

“Carol told you more, didn’t she?” Tsubasa asked calmly, gently caressing Maria’s hand with her thumb. Maybe she wasn’t really good at comforting people, but from Maria she learned that even the small gestures like that could help in hard times.

“She did. I’m the savior of humanity by the plan. Or rather Ver is and I’m his tool.” Maria laughed quietly, turning her head to the side and pressing her cheek to Tsubasa’s shoulder. “I just wanted vengeance and now I’m supposed to save everyone. But should I care? Even if the humans’ world as we know it will fall… We are not a part of it anymore.” She relaxed, listening to Tsubasa’s steady heartbeat and smooth breath. “I just want to go somewhere far away from here and enjoy a simple life with you.”

“But we can’t just leave.” Tsubasa shook her head, squeezing Maria’s hand. “I would like that too, but we have a duty to stop this madness before it’s too late. Moreover, we won’t find any peace while Ver has plans for you. Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki are still in danger.” 

“Duty… I haven’t heard this word from you in a long time. Is the sentinel Tsubasa back?” Maria teased Tsubasa, hesitantly releasing her from the embrace. “Despite everything, I enjoyed this time we spent in the castle and it made me realize a few things... From now on I will do whatever it takes to secure a peaceful future for us.” She leaned over Tsubasa’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “Always remember that.” She whispered into her ear, almost brushing it with her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. It's finally time to move the plot.  
> I don't know how many people still stick around, but we reached the point where final arc starts.  
> Can't really say how long it 'll take and how many chapters left, but I already can see ending.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update took longer than I thought, but here it is.

“We should get out of here, fast.” Maria grabbed Tsubasa’s hand and pulled her away from the train. When they stepped on the platform, Maria noticed a high amount of station security, a bunch of policemen being among them. All of the exits but one were closed.

“Why?” Tsubasa asked in surprise, briefly glancing over her shoulder to see what made Maria so concerned. “It’s the authorities. They can’t do anything to us as long as…” She abruptly stopped and her eyes widened at the realization that all her papers from the governor burned along with her clothes the other day. 

“Exactly. You can’t prove who you are and I’m still a criminal to them.” Maria stopped near the end of the platform and looked around, searching for another way to leave the station. As she suspected, some policemen were already checking out the people who arrived on the same train and didn’t let anyone leave without going through their procedure. “I think something happened while we were away. They wouldn’t raise security this high without a proper reason and since we have weapons, there will be a lot of questions.” 

“I trust your judgement, Maria.” Tsubasa nodded in agreement. “But still, we didn’t do anything wrong and cooperating with them can spare us from trouble. I’ve met the majority of head officers and they will recognize me.” 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Maria shook her head. “If they are really going to take us into custody, we will lose a lot of time when we should be checking on our friends.”

“Ogawa-san wouldn’t let anything happen to them.” Tsubasa tried to sound confident, but after hearing Maria’s words, she began to doubt that everything was fine. Ogawa was well trained, but he was just one man. 

“I want to be sure, and as soon as possible.” Maria sighed and glanced at the policeman walking their way. “We need to slip out of here unnoticed.” Maria’s expression suddenly changed and she turned her head toward Tsubasa, while an impish smile played on her lips. “You know, I always thought that you should learn to improvise faster. Any suggestions?” 

“You are enjoying it…” Tsubasa narrowed her eyes. Taking into account the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t come up with any ideas other than the one she already suggested. “If they are all humans, we can just run away.” 

“Yes, but they’ll see our faces and will know we were here.” Maria shook her head and raised her hand, pressing it to her chin. “We need a distraction…” She looked around, weighing their options. “Can you set these trash cans on fire? The papers in there will make a nice smoke.”

Meanwhile, annoyance in the crowd grew. Here and there angry shouts and curses towards security could be heard. It was understandable since the procedure was slow and the queue almost didn’t move. As more passengers were leaving the train, the platform became more crowded and the number of audible grumbles increased.

“But it will attract attention.” Tsubasa frowned, trying to understand what Maria was planning. “And people can get injured if the fire spreads…” 

“Just make it smolder and don’t set the whole place on fire.” Maria chuckled. “With all these policemen around they can handle it. Of course, once panic sets in the crowd will get uncontrollable, but it will help us blend in.” 

“I don’t like it. But since there is no other choice…” Tsubasa sighed, but took a step closer to the trash can and touched its edge. A few blue sparks fell into it from her fingers and weak smoke appeared immediately. She did the same to the other one and came back to Maria. “How many times have you escaped from the police? You should stop messing with the authorities, Maria. I don’t want to see you in chains again and spend my days trying to get you out of jail.”

“Old habits die hard.” Maria smirked, taking Tsubasa’s hand and pulling her away from the smoking cans. She looked over her shoulder, making sure that they were not noticed yet and headed in the direction of the exit. “I couldn’t trust anyone, especially the police, for a long while, and had to run from them countless times.” She chuckled at the memory. “It was always amusing to see them fail. Once I even met an officer during daytime and he greeted me with a smile, having no clue that it was me who knocked him out a few nights before.” 

“I hope that when all is over, you won’t do such things for fun…” Tsubasa grimaced, feeling sorry for the people who just did their job, but happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“Why would I?” Maria smiled, stopping close to the queue for the exit. “I will have you to entertain me.” She gently squeezed Tsubasa’s hand pulling her closer and brushing their shoulders together. “Moreover, it won’t be necessary, I’m not planning to be involved in anything.” 

Suddenly loud yell caught everyone’s attention. As Maria expected, trash in the can began to smolder and thick smoke began to spread throughout the station. It certainly wasn’t enough to make people choke or get seriously poisoned, but in the nearly closed space without any ventilation it was enough to make people panic. 

Disturbance spread through the crowd at the speed of lightning. Those who were closer to the source of the smoke began to push the people in front of them forward. Yells and screams became louder and appeals from the police to stay calm got lost in this cacophony. 

“It was really a bad idea.” Tsubasa gritted her teeth, trying to keep her cool and not get involved. All these people around needed help now and she felt responsible for this mess. She twitched back, intending to go and try to fix what they had done, but Maria’s hold on her hand tightened and she held her in place. “I can still stop this…” 

“Everything will be alright.” Maria said calmly, still squeezing Tsubasa’s hand. “I don’t like it either, but it’s impossible to do only ‘good’ things if we want to keep fighting.” 

“Maria…” For some reason a tight and heavy feeling appeared in Tsubasa’s chest as she listened to Maria. With a quiet sigh she squeezed Maria’s hand back. “You are right...” 

Soon all doors were opened and police appealed to everyone to calmly leave the area. However, not many managed to stay calm and the guards had no other choice but to step aside and let the flow of people go uncontrolled. 

“What do we do next?” Tsubasa asked, clenching her fingers around her sword and holding it closer. It was terribly uncomfortable to be in the middle of the crowd and she desperately tried to stay closer to Maria, clinging to her hand. 

“Slip out of sight at the first opportunity.” Maria answered in a low tone, looking forward and examining the area. They were nearly next to the exit from the station and she could already catch a glimpse of the square, but suddenly she felt that someone was watching them. She carefully looked around, trying to not indicate that she noticed they were under surveillance. As she expected, it was too hard to find the shadow watchers, but the feeling of their presence only grew. 

“Maria, what’s wrong?” Tsubasa called to Maria, noticing the change in her posture and how tense she became within a brief moment. 

“Everything is fine.” Maria answered, switching her gaze from one person to another, searching for the enemy. “We need to get away from here as soon as possible.” 

Maria began to wade forward, pushing people aside as careful as she could while in a hurry and tugging Tsubasa along. All her instincts and dexterity were useless here and it became quite irritating, especially when some grumblers commented on her actions in a completely impolite way. No matter how far they moved, she could still sense this cold gaze on her, yet couldn’t discern the direction it was coming from. She was certain only about one thing – it wasn’t human.

In a few more minutes they finally crossed the archway and it didn’t take too long to leave the railway station behind. As soon as Maria and Tsubasa stepped in the station square, they both noticed how different the atmosphere was now in the city compared to the one before they left. Tension could be felt from every person who passed by and all of them seemed to be in a rush. 

“Citizens never liked to be on the streets at night time here, but it’s not that late yet.” Maria narrowed her eyes, peering into strangers’ faces and trying to get a hint about what was going on. “The last time I saw such behavior was five years ago, when everyone believed that those who killed my family were lurking around looking for new victims.”

“Do you think there were similar incidents while we were absent?” Tsubasa tightly gripped her sword, thinking about Maria’s words. She remembered how she became the unwanted witness of an attempt to kill the man they saved from the underground market. If they continued to destroy all evidence and witnesses, every one of these people had been eliminated by now. “We have to do something about it…”

“Don’t feel responsible for this, Tsubasa.” Maria’s voice sounded cold, but there was a faintly noticeable tint of sorrow. “Our presence would change nothing. Saving everyone is impossible.” She began to walk through the square, still feeling the observer’s presence. It grew weaker the further they moved from the station. “Now I’m truly concerned about Kirika and Shirabe…” 

“I’m afraid we can’t take the shortest way to your house.” Tsubasa touched Maria’s shoulder, trying to get her attention, and then pointed to the street to the right of them. There was a group of four men with rifles patrolling the area. “There must be more on the way.” 

“It’s not a problem.” Maria shook her head and headed the opposite direction, gesturing for Tsubasa to follow her. “There’s enough small alleys here. We won’t cross paths with any of these patrols. It will probably be even faster, if you don’t mind some jumping.”

Maria guided them through a maze of small side streets and alleys, taking turns and following familiar routes. She had done this so many times that she could walk even with her eyes closed and never get lost, but right now she was just lost deep in thought. She came back to reality only when several hundred meters separated them from her house.

“Can you sense it too?” Tsubasa asked Maria and sniffed the air, catching a weak wind from the house’s direction. “It’s blood and gunpowder… Also the blends Ogawa uses for his smoke bombs.” 

Maria didn’t say a word and rushed forward. She could sense it too. There was a lot of blood spilled and the scent was coming from her house. Her hands trembled slightly as she began to think what could have happened there. Part of her wanted to turn around and leave, never facing the scene that waited for her within the building she called home.

The first thing that caught Maria’s attention was that all windows on the first floor were broken. Curtains swung on the wind and no light could be seen shining from the inside. The door was cracked in the middle and flung open. All of these were clear signs of a sudden assault.

“Maria…!” Tsubasa called, barely holding back her voice from yelling. She tried to keep up with Maria, but everything happened too suddenly and she fell behind. She ran as fast as she could, yet even with her newly acquired powers she managed to catch up only when Maria slowed down. “They didn’t even try to be discreet…” She looked around, imagining how all of this started. “They acted the same way when they tried to kill the man I saved. However, I’m surprised there are no police barricades and patrols.” 

“Because they were told to stay away and it wasn’t Ver who gave the order.” Maria gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “There were too many schemes before and this makes no sense. If he wanted to kill my friends, he would do it in a more complex and delicate way. This order came from someone who can control the police as well. It must be Adam.” 

“Ver tried to kill me in a rather blunt way.” Tsubasa crossed her hands over her chest and glanced at Maria, slightly raising her eyebrow. “I’m not trying to say that you are overestimating him, but why wouldn’t he just simply kill them?”

“Because if Carol really never sent him a word, he wouldn’t take any rash steps without knowing what our current status is.” Maria took a step closer to the door, but stopped again, hesitating to enter. “And why would he try to kill his last chance to control me?” 

“We don’t know what happened to them yet. It could be a kidnapping attempt.” Tsubasa objected and headed to the entrance, passing by an indecisive Maria. “Let me go first.” She said calmly, briefly touching Maria’s shoulder. 

Pushing aside all personal feelings as she was taught, Tsubasa stepped inside the building. Small blue fire flared on her free palm as she moved forward to investigate. Everything was a complete mess. Broken furniture and items were scattered all around the hall and living room. She could see how tough the battle was from the cuts on the floor and the bullet holes on the walls. Bloody marks were everywhere, though she couldn’t find any bodies. 

Tsubasa stopped before the stairs to the second floor and frowned. In the middle of the steps was a big hole, as if someone smashed it with a heavy hammer. It wasn’t something she expected to see, since the goons they met never used such rough weapons and neither would Ogawa. She tensed, hearing steps from behind, but then relaxed recognizing Maria’s gait. 

“I can’t discern the scent of Kirika or Shirabe’s blood in this mess.” Maria stopped at a distance, looking into the living room through a doorway. Her voice didn’t convey any emotions or expressions, it stayed deathly neutral. A strong feeling of déjà vu engulfed her, but she did her best to ignore it and keep going. She laid her hand on the doorjamb and pressed her fingers hard to it, steadying herself. “Yet there is human blood… And quite a lot of it.” 

“There was a tough battle here, but something feels off...” Tsubasa turned to the side and walked to the kitchen, searching for more clues. “But more importantly, Ogawa-san would have left something for us if he survived the attack. We should look around.” She walked further and found the same mess as everywhere, but in the middle of the kitchen stood the only unbroken chair and on top of it was a strange wooden box. “Maria!” 

“Is something the matter?” Maria came as soon as she heard Tsubasa’s call and looked over her shoulder. “I doubt it’s from Ogawa-san…” She rounded Tsubasa and laid her hands on the box, carefully taking it from Tsubasa’s hands. 

“I should open it.” Tsubasa took the box back from Maria and slightly shook it. Something clinked quietly inside, but nothing else happened. “If Carol was right, I can endure a lot of damage and if it’s a trap…” She smiled weakly at Maria, noticing her desire to protest. “If it was a bomb it would have gone off already, but who knows what else can be in there.” 

Tsubasa took a slow deep breath, casting aside all doubts, and pushed the box’s lid up with her thumbs. A piece of paper appeared before her eyes, which she immediately grabbed. She then tightened her grip, almost breaking the wood when she saw what was beneath it. A single set of silver handcuffs that were lying at the bottom of the box. 

Tsubasa switched her attention to the slip of paper in her hands and began to read the text on it. 

_“Miss Kazanari. We are greatly disappointed in you as emissary of your family. You violated our agreement and sided with those you swore to kill. What will happen when it becomes public? However, we give you a chance to restore your honor. Bring us Maria Cadenzavna Eve and we will close our eyes to your wrongdoings.”_

“What’s written there?” Maria reached for the piece of paper and carefully pulled it out of Tsubasa’s shaking hand. She swiftly read the message and crumpled it before throwing it away. 

“They dare to blackmail me and threaten my reputation.” Tsubasa said coldly, yet her hands still slightly shook from anger. “Suggesting me to bring you to them willingly.”

“I was right. Adam made his move.” Maria frowned, taking the box from Tsubasa’s hand and tossing it back onto the chair, only for it to slide down to the floor. The handcuffs fell out of it and Maria’s frown deepened. “However, that also means he has lost his patience waiting for results from Ver. We are going to use this opportunity.” 

“It’s out of the question.” Tsubasa’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m not going to do as they say.” 

“Just think about it.” Maria made a soothing gesture, asking Tsubasa to stay silent and hear her out. “He doesn’t know that our cooperation is approved by your family and threats are pointless. If you bring me to him in chains…”

“I refuse.” Tsubasa interrupted Maria, refusing to believe the words she just heard. “It’s an obvious trap.”

“Tsubasa! We have to go after him.” Maria got taken aback by Tsubasa’s attitude. She finally found an exit from the situation they were stuck in, but Tsubasa locked the door right in front of their noses with this rejection. Maria clenched her fists, as anger began to grow within her. “He has Kirika and Shirabe now, we can’t waste any time. We need to act!” 

“You need to calm down, Maria. Emotions are clouding your mind.” Tsubasa laid her hand on the hilt of her katana, wrapping her fingers around it and squeezing it. Seeing Maria’s emotional reaction, she kept her cool, carefully looking for words to call for reason. “We can discuss it later when we find out more.”

“How can I calm down when the one who organized the murder of my family now has my friends.” Maria strained through gritted teeth, barely holding back from raising her voice at Tsubasa. “I won’t sit and wait until they are killed.” Her eyes began to glow red, as she glared at Tsubasa. “I thought you understood that for me they are like family. I won’t take any chances.” 

“You are not thinking straight right now.” Tsubasa looked directly into Maria’s eyes without flinching. She knew this gaze already. It was the same one Maria had when she tore Garie apart. “There are no words about hostages in the letter, when it would be a more solid threat.” She slowly breathed down, instinctively tightening her grip on the hilt and feeling a slight chill running down her spine. 

“It was written before they came here and took them.” Maria’s eyes brightened. She took a step closer to Tsubasa as if trying to intimidate her. “It’s wise to save one’s main trump cards for later. At the very moment, they are in his hands and who knows what will be done to them if you don’t bring me there.”

“Ogawa-san wouldn’t let it happen.” Tsubasa didn’t step back under Maria’s heavy glare. “Moreover, Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki are resourceful girls. I’m sure they are in no danger. All of this was made just to crush our spirit.” She swallowed hard, as her throat suddenly felt dry, while she prepared to utter the last comment she had. “I won’t let you become a martyr, even if I have to fight you, Maria.” 

Heavy silence hung in the air while they kept staring at each other. It was rather a duel of wills, since neither of them wanted to fight the other for real, yet no one wished to yield either. 

“Oh my, so much tension and passion. I can even feel it with my whole body.” The voice came from the hall, followed by the clacking of the heels. “Are you about to fight or is this a foreplay? I wouldn’t mind joining.” 

Maria and Tsubasa both turned to the doorway and saw a familiar curvaceous woman, who smiled and winked at them. It was Cagliostro, a member of Adam’s close circle and undoubtedly one of his loyal servants. Her clothing didn’t change much from what she wore to the party, remaining as open and revealing as it was before. 

“Oh, did I ruin the mood?” Cagliostro laid one hand across herself under her lush breasts and pressed a finger of her other hand to the corner of her mouth. “It wasn’t my intention.” She blinked innocently, slightly tilting her head. 

“Did Adam send you to hear our answer?” Maria asked, reaching for her dagger and pulling it out of the sheath. “Bold move, I give you that. You really believe you can survive facing me after all you’ve done?” 

“Adam?” Cagliostro raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was hard to say how honest she was, yet her reaction seemed more genuine than feigned. “No, I came here by myself.” 

“Stop this pathetic farce.” Following Maria’s example, Tsubasa drew her sword. “We know you serve him.” She gripped the hilt with both hands and pointed the blade straight at Cagliostro.

“Ah, I see.” Cagliostro looked at Tsubasa and Maria with amusement and then began to laugh. “We have a little misunderstanding here. You see…” She took several steps towards them and stopped a few inches away from Tsubasa’s sword. “We are no longer working for him.” She pressed her finger to the blade before her and slid it along the polished surface. “And I’m here to offer you a truce.” 

“A truce? You must be kidding.” Maria sneered and raised an eyebrow. “Why, all of the sudden, would you want to side with us?” 

“To stay alive of course.” Cagliostro smiled, still rubbing Tsubasa’s sword with her finger. “When one gets useless to Adam, they die. I want to avoid that and save my friends as well.” 

“You brought this upon yourself.” Tsubasa said coldly, raising her sword higher and nearly pressing its tip to Cagliostro’s chin. “Don’t involve others into this and face the consequences of your doings. Now leave if you truly want to live longer.” 

“So cold and scornful…” Cagliostro subtly licked her lips and gulped. “What if I tell you that I know where your friends are and that they are well and sound, thanks to our interference?” 

“You better not be lying.” Maria leveled Cagliostro with her gaze, deciding if she should try to check out her honesty right away or not. She carefully listened to her senses, expecting some kind of reinforcement while Cagliostro was distracting them, but there were no signs of any living beings around. “What’s your offer?”

“I’ll show you our hiding place where we took them as a gesture of goodwill.” Cagliostro winked at Tsubasa and took a step back. “In exchange I will ask you for one favor. Though, if you agree, it will benefit all of us.”

“Of course, it’s always about trading favors.” Maria rolled her eyes and shoved her dagger back to its sheath. “What do you say, Tsubasa? Is this offer better than Adam’s?” 

“I don’t like either of them.” Tsubasa shook her head, keeping her eyes on Cagliostro. “Yet, there is no need to ask me. After all you can verify if she is telling the truth or not.” 

“What a shame, that handsome man was right after all…” Cagliostro sighed dramatically, pressing a couple of fingers to her forehead. “I thought I was charming enough to make you believe me without his help.” She laid her hand on revealing decollete and snuck her fingers between her breasts. With an obviously feigned moan she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Tsubasa. “I’m curious what this blank piece of paper means, but he said you will understand.” 

Confused, Tsubasa lowered her sword and took the paper from Cagliostro. Several ideas crossed her mind while she was examining both of its sides, until she realized who was the man Cagliostro mentioned. In any other situation she would look for a candle, however, there was no time for that. A small fire flared on her palm and she held the paper closer, positioning it between herself and the light source. As she expected, pale letters appeared on the blank surface and she immediately recognized Ogawa’s handwriting. 

_‘Tsubasa-san, I’m sorry for putting you in this position. They saved us for an unknown reason and now won’t let us go anywhere until you come. What she says is mostly true, but be wary.’_

“Nice trick.” Cagliostro watched Tsubasa burning the paper with interest. “Is it some kind of small lighter you have there?” She came closer to examine Tsubasa’s palm, but was stopped by Maria who stepped in between them. 

“Ogawa-san gave her this.” Tsubasa said, hiding her sword back in its sheath. “Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki are with him.” 

“Can we go already?” Cagliostro groaned and laid one hand on her hip. “I’ve risked enough when I came here and staying in this dirty hole creeps me out.” She smiled at Maria. “No offence though. Nice house, but it has certainly known better times.” 

“Wait here. I need to grab a few things first.” Maria said coldly and headed for the exit. Passing by Cagliostro she glared at her briefly, but enough to make her flinch.

“Maria, wait.” Tsubasa called, about to run after Maria, but she held this desire back after seeing that she ignored her. Tsubasa bit the inside of her lip as she watched Maria disappear around the corner. 

“So scary.” Cagliostro crossed her arms under her breasts, squeezing her forearms. “Aren’t you afraid of her?” She looked at Tsubasa with unexpected concern. “She is doing good for her state, but I’d prefer to not stay around her for too long.” 

“We don’t trust you enough to treat you better.” Tsubasa answered calmly, taking control over her emotions and hiding her frustration. “As for my feelings – it’s none of your business.”

“You don’t realize it, do you?” Cagliostro smiled. “I’ve seen enough people like her. Ver tried different serums on many subjects. All of them sooner or later lost sense of reality and fell for their sordid desires. But maybe that’s why he is so fond of her. She is tough and stubborn.” 

“Mind your tongue.” Listening to Cagliostro, Tsubasa clenched her fists and looked away. She had no idea if this was just rubbish to distract her and also an attempt to plant some doubts in her mind, but from what she saw recently it could be true. Lately Maria seemed to be colder and harsher than usual, but she rather thought it was a reaction to the difficult circumstances. She shook her head, casting away these disturbing thoughts. Cagliostro had certainly just played with her head for an unknown reason. “It’s none of your concern.” 

“If I hadn’t shown up, she would have beaten you down and forced you to submit.” Cagliostro shrugged and rolled her eyes, scornfully humphing. “You could be a bit more grateful. Keep her in line while she is in our hideout. We truly want to cooperate, not get more troubles.” 

Tsubasa opened her mouth to give Cagliostro a piece of her mind about the matter, but the sound of familiar steps reached her ears. Maria returned much faster than she expected, wearing a new hooded cloak, similar to one she lost in battle. 

“Documents or money are not stolen. I had to check it out and hide the most important papers.” Maria explained, noticing the questioning gazes of Tsubasa and Cagliostro. “It’s a miracle no marauders got their hands on it. But I doubt anyone in this city is brave enough to come here…”

“Are you done yet?” Cagliostro interfered before Tsubasa managed to open her mouth. “Honestly, the longer we stay here the more chances we have of getting caught. You know it better than anyone.” 

“Yes.” Maria nodded, looking around and trying to remember if she did everything she intended to do. Leaving too many traces could be fatal, yet they had to be sure Adam knew they were here and saw his note. “Tsubasa, take the handcuffs that were in the box. We might use them later.”

“So, it was foreplay after all.” Cagliostro smirked, watching Tsubasa taking the pieces of metal from the floor as she was told. “Call me, when you decide to use them.” 

“Only in your dreams.” Maria groaned, irritated over Cagliostro’s attitude, and turned around. “Lead us to where you’re keeping my friends and better keep your mouth shut.” 

“So rude…” Cagliostro chuckled, passing by Maria and heading to the exit. “But I start to understand why this cutie with a sword likes you so much.” 

Following Cagliostro, Maria stopped for a moment when they exited the building. The same presence she felt at the train station appeared again. Someone was watching her closely from afar, but as before she couldn’t say where exactly it was coming from. She looked around and for a brief moment she saw a pair of bright red eyes looking at her from the roof of the nearby building, but their shine disappeared immediately as if it was just a vision. 

“What’s wrong, Maria?” Tsubasa asked with concern, carefully laying her hand on Maria’s back. 

“We can’t discuss it here.” Maria answered quietly. “But we will talk later when we are alone…”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Their path again ran through the dark alleys and small dirty streets. Cagliostro led them to the newly founded industrial area of the city. It contained nothing but a few storage buildings and factories still under construction. Maria had to admit that this was a good place for hideout since the air was filled with the smell of oil mixed with smoke and mud. Tracks on the ground were hard to define since there were too many left by workers. Without knowing the place well, it would be easy to get lost.

They snuck around, avoiding all of the night guards and soon reached the warehouse right in the middle of the area. As soon as Cagliostro pushed the main door aside, Maria caught a weak and familiar smell that wafted from inside the building. It wasn’t the scent of blood, but rather just the natural smell of her friends, which she had grown accustomed to sensing every day. This one thing was enough for her to calm down and relax, knowing that they really were unharmed. 

“Get inside and don’t make a reunion scene.” Cagliostro said, gesturing for Maria and Tsubasa to hurry. “The echo inside is awfully loud, so stay as quiet as possible.” She smirked at them. “So, nothing lewd allowed.” 

“You are the one making lewd sounds all the time without reason…” Maria rubbed her temple, feeling a slight headache coming on. She would like to tell a lot to Cagliostro and maybe even teach her some manners, but as allies she had to endure her eccentric behavior. 

Cagliostro shrugged with a smile in response and sneaked inside. Both Maria and Tsubasa followed her, closing the door behind them. Inside there was nothing but thousands of shelves filled with different supplies and materials, arranged like a labyrinth. They carefully followed Cagliostro, heading to the center of the warehouse, yet staying cautious.

After several minutes, they finally reached their destination. Between the shelves was a small area turned into a simple living space. Many blankets were in the corner, along with a few pillows. In the middle of this nest were Kirika and Shirabe, sleeping in each other’s embrace. Aside from this peaceful scene there were two people sitting in old chairs – Ogawa and a girl, which they immediately recognized as Prelati. 

“See? I didn’t lie to you.” Cagliostro chuckled quietly, seeing Maria’s perplexed expression. “No harm done to them by our hands.” 

“Tsubasa-san, Maria-san!” Ogawa jumped from his seat and ran to Maria and Tsubasa. He seemed to be tired, but unharmed and extremely happy to see both of them. “I knew you would come.” 

“Ogawa-san, we need to talk.” Tsubasa’s voice was serious and cold. Seeing the girls were well and sound, she switched her attention to the more important matter.

“Of course.” Ogawa nodded and looked back at sleeping Kirika and Shirabe. “Can we go somewhere more private?” His question was addressed to Tsubasa, but his gaze travelled to Cagliostro and then to Prelati, as if he needed their permission for any further actions.

“Remember that they are still here.” Prelati pointed to the sleeping girls, implying that running away would be stupid. “However, take your time. We can discuss details of our cooperation when your scanty minds manage to comprehend the situation.” 

Tsubasa and Ogawa headed to the far end of the warehouse, while Maria hesitated to follow them. She kept her eyes on sleeping Kirika and Shirabe, fighting back the desire to wake them up and ask what happened. However, her rational side won and she decided to let them rest for now, knowing that if they managed to fall asleep here around enemies then they were really tired. Glancing one more time at girls’ sleeping faces, Maria hurried to catch up with Ogawa and Tsubasa. She found them standing in a corner and in the middle of serious conversation. 

“I’m sorry, Tsubasa-san. I failed you.” Ogawa bowed his head and didn’t dare to look Tsubasa in the eyes. “There were too many of the Association agents… To my surprise the girls did fight back quite well, but the three of us couldn’t handle so many enemies at once…”

“Why didn’t you run?” Tsubasa asked, hiding her hands in her loose sleeves and resting them just above her belly. 

“I noticed their presence too late. It was a sudden assault from all sides.” Ogawa shook his head. “We tried to leave through the second floor, but even there was an ambush.” 

“And then Cagliostro appeared?” Tsubasa frowned, pondering how accurate the timing was to make everything look like an honest rescue attempt.

“They came when we were cornered…” Ogawa sighed, once again admitting his uselessness. “We accepted their offer and hoped to get an opportunity to run. Later they convinced me that they have no evil intentions and want to make a deal with you.” 

“I assume you didn’t have a chance to send any reports after that.” Tsubasa raised her hand and slightly pinched the bridge of her nose. “You did well, considering the circumstances. It was our mistake… I thought we would be back faster.” 

“But what took you so long? I thought it would take a few days, but it took a week instead. And these clothes…” Ogawa voiced the thoughts that bothered him from the moment he saw Tsubasa. 

“Ogawa-san, I have to ask you one thing.” Tsubasa looked at Ogawa, examining his expression. “Father sent you here to watch over me, but not because of my mission itself, right?” 

Hesitation and fear flashed over Ogawa’s face. He was trained well to hide his true emotions, but his skills betrayed him at the moment. He opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it not saying a word.

“I take your silence as a ‘yes’” Tsubasa gritted her teeth and looked away. “What they feared happened during our trip. That’s why we couldn’t come back sooner, but I don’t want to talk about details for now.” 

“Tsubasa-san…!” Ogawa’s eyes widened in shock and he was ready to explain everything, but was quickly interrupted by Tsubasa’s raised hand.

“I don’t need your excuses. You followed the order.” Tsubasa shook her head.  
“But if my trust means anything to you, don’t send a message about it yet.” She said coldly, still looking away from Ogawa. “Sooner or later they will find out, but it will happen on my terms.” She took a deep breath to steady herself. Knowing that Ogawa as well as her own family hid things from her all this time hurt a lot, yet she kept her cool, reminding herself that this was the best way to handle it right now for Maria’s and the girls’ sake. “Now go and tell all our allies that Adam Weishaupt is a traitor. We are going to act soon. I request their support on this matter.” 

“As you wish, Tsubasa-san.” Ogawa slightly bowed his head and glanced at Tsubasa’s face. “I didn’t notice it before, but you’re becoming more like your father…” He added quietly, turning around and walking away.

“It’s hardly a compliment…” Tsubasa mumbled under her breath, listening to Ogawa’s receding steps. 

“You could be easier on him.” Maria came closer and stopped behind Tsubasa. She preferred to stay out of Ogawa and Tsubasa’s talk, but she still felt bad for the man. “He always cared about you. And you, like no one else, should understand how it is when you have to choose between order and personal feelings.” 

“I have no willpower left to discuss it with him today.” Tsubasa turned around and faced Maria, crossing her hands on her abdomen and hiding them in her sleeves again. “And there are more important things to do.” Tsubasa intended to head back to others, but was stopped by Maria’s hand on her forearm. 

“Listen, about earlier…” Maria rubbed her neck, feeling strangely uncomfortable to bring this up. “Thank you for confronting me.” 

“It was a close call.” Tsubasa said without a grain of reproach. “Your reaction was concerning. We can’t act recklessly now no matter what’s happening.” 

“I know.” Maria admitted with a sigh. “But the idea of the girls being hurt or even dead blinded me… It was like I went back to that day, but with the illusive chance for a better outcome. I can’t lose them.” She raised her hand and pressed its palm to her face. “And this feeling of being watched all the time makes it only worse.” 

“Being watched?” Tsubasa tensed, as Cagliostro’s words flashed in her head. Maria’s words made sense and she didn’t blame her for her actions, but coupled with this last statement it could have another meaning.

“It started at the station.” Maria began to explain, carefully choosing her words. She was aware how insane it might sound, but Tsubasa was the last person she would hide it from. “I felt some strange presence. Someone was intently watching us, or rather me, but I couldn’t define who it was.”

“I didn’t feel anything…” Tsubasa said, paying attention to Maria’s reaction. “Maybe it’s a strange coincidence. Anyone could look at you, but with your senses on high alert it could seem like they are watching you. You need to rest.” 

“Don’t make it sound like I’m delusional.” Maria groaned, displeased by the turn the conversation took. “I’m stressed and tired, but I’m sure of what I felt. I caught a glimpse of this person. However, those red eyes were not of an ordinary vampire…” 

“I believe you, but…” Tsubasa took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “Cagliostro told me that Ver’s test subjects, that he used different serums on, eventually lost all sense of reality, overwhelmed by power. Maybe you should stay aside for now and rest. Ogawa-san and I will handle things with Adam.” 

“Don’t even start it, Tsubasa. I can’t step back. Not now.” Maria answered, shaking her head. “Moreover, I won’t let you go there alone.”

“Cagliostro’s words and your behavior concerns me.” Tsubasa said, slowly losing her composure. She squeezed her wrist tightly, feeling a slight tremble running through her body. “I can’t stop thinking about it. We should avoid that outcome in any possible way.” 

“I’m sure she said it to mess with your head.” Maria said calmly, noticing Tsubasa’s state. She stepped closer and laid her hands on Tsubasa’s shoulders. “Don’t believe their words. They would say anything for their own good and we don’t yet know what they need from us.” 

“But what if it’s the truth?” Tsubasa swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat and gripped her wrist tighter. “What am I supposed to do then? I can fight you, but... what else?” She looked at Maria with a silent plea for a simple answer to this difficult dilemma she had. “How far can it go? I don’t want to face the choice between duty and feelings.”

“Didn’t you make this choice when you refused to follow orders and stayed here.” Maria smiled, finding Tsubasa’s expression rather cute even despite her serious tone. 

“It’s different!” Tsubasa protested. “The lives of many people, and yours, will be at stake.” 

“Don’t be overdramatic.” Maria gently squeezed Tsubasa’s shoulders and rubbed them with her thumbs to soothe her. 

“I’m not as strong as you.” Tsubasa said quietly, leaning closer to Maria and pressing her head to her chest. “You faced such things and didn’t give up, while I’m trembling in fear, simply from the idea.”

Maria wrapped her arms around Tsubasa’s shoulders and slightly pulled her closer. Seeing Tsubasa so fragile tightened her chest, but she was still grateful to her for being honest. She could only guess how many times Tsubasa hid her true feelings behind the sentinel’s mask, but around her she didn’t do it anymore. 

“It’s natural to be afraid.” Maria said calmly. “I don’t have the words that will make you stop thinking about the worst outcome possible, it’s something only you can do. Though, I’m not as strong as you think. I just cling to the faint hope that even in your berserk state you can recognize me.” She pressed her cheek to Tsubasa’s head and slightly rubbed it on her hair. “In dark times you are the same beacon for me, as I am for you. Believe in that.” 

“We should keep it all between us, right?” Tsubasa asked, gently pushing Maria away to release herself from the embrace. “Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki won’t let you go knowing about this possibility.” 

“Probably. While we don’t know the truth, it’s better not to tell them.” Maria agreed. “I don’t want to lie to them, but I also don’t want to think about what they would do knowing this. Sometimes they can be even more dangerous to themselves than all thugs in the world are.” 

“It’s not a lie, but a precaution.” Suddenly Tsubasa froze in shock, realizing what she just said. “I’m starting to understand why father and even Ogawa-san never told me anything about our family. Am I really becoming like my father...?”

“I never met him, so can’t tell you, but you are certainly becoming more independent.” Maria smiled, pulling Tsubasa back into the embrace. She rubbed her nose in Tsubasa’s hair, seeking comfort in her warmth and familiar scent. 

“We can rest for now and decide later.” Tsubasa wrapped her arms around Maria’s waist and closed her eyes. This peaceful moment was what she needed after the difficult day and she finally managed to relax. “We need sound minds to listen to Cagliostro and Prelati. Hopefully, they won’t ask something impossible in return for saving our friends…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is time to tie up and finish all things I used through the story, without making it way too long. It takes time... Hope you have some patience left.  
> Somehow this AU became too big in my head and everything I can tell within it won't fit in one story.   
> Probably some things will stay not fully explained, leaving me some space for possible sequel.


End file.
